Former Taliban minister denies Afghan peace talks

By Jon Hemming

KABUL (Reuters) - Former Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil Wednesday denied a meeting he attended with Afghan government officials in Saudi Arabia last month constituted peace talks aimed at ending the seven-year conflict.

The meeting however, hosted by Saudi King Abdullah, could still help open the way to dialogue between the Western-backed Afghan government and the Taliban to end fighting that has killed more than 3,800 people this year, a third of them civilians.

"It's totally wrong news. The were no talks and no Taliban representative was there. It was an ordinary and normal meeting and dinner," Muttawakil told the Pakistan-based AIP news agency.

"During our meetings with delegations from different countries, everybody talked about the problems of Afghanistan and expressed concerns and similarly, we came to know Saudi Arabia is also concerned," he said.

"But neither were there formal negotiations, nor did Taliban representatives attend those discussions."

Muttawakil's comments follow similar denials from the Afghan government and other former Taliban present at the meeting.

But while the former foreign minister, always regarded as a moderate in the austere Islamist movement, insists he is no longer a member of the Taliban, he and others present in Saudi are believed to have regular contacts with the insurgents.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a direct appeal for peace to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar last week and asked Saudi Arabia to help mediate talks, but the Afghan government also denies any talks have yet taken place.