VIENNA — The fifth meeting of the Vienna Process, a gathering of political, civil, and military opposition groups to the Taliban, is set to take place on February 18-19 in Austria’s capital, according to Mohammadullah Afzali, a member of the Executive Committee of the Vienna Process.
Afzali told Amu that the conference will bring together 50 major Afghan groups and 100 prominent figures to discuss and exchange views on practical steps toward a joint political roadmap, aimed at developing a democratic alternative to the Taliban government.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, four previous Vienna Process meetings have been held, hosted by the Austrian Institute for International Affairs.
During the fourth meeting, held in July 2024, participants urged the United Nations not to normalize relations with the Taliban.
The final declaration of that gathering criticized the third Doha meeting, where the Taliban participated unilaterally, stating that the agenda was aligned with the Taliban’s interests, thus undermining the legitimacy of the entire Doha process.
At the time, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, told Amu that the group had no interest in commenting on the Vienna Process.
