KABUL, June 23 (Reuters) - The Taliban had the agreement of the Qatar government for the use of its flag and banner at the opening of its Doha office, the group said on Sunday, in a move that suggests it may be unwilling to remove what has become a key sticking point in the nascent Afghan peace talks.
In a statement, the Taliban spokesman in Doha, Dr. Muhammad Naeem, also disputed remarks by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that the militant group had signed an agreement with the United States regarding the use of the office.
"No such agreement has been signed, nor does such an agreement exist, although documents have been exchanged between the Islamic Emirate and the Qatari government regarding conditions of the office," Naeem said in the statement.
"The raising of the flag and the use of the name of Islamic Emirate were done with the agreement of the Qatari government." (Reporting by Dylan Welch; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
