Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks on Sunday with the emir of Qatar on a visit to the Gulf state for talks on a plan to open a Taliban office there as a prelude to possible talks on ending the war

Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks on Sunday with the emir of Qatar on a visit to the Gulf state for talks on a plan to open a Taliban office there as a prelude to possible talks on ending the war.
  
Karzai discussed "issues of mutual interest" with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, state news agency QNA said, without elaborating on what was discussed at a meeting also attended by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani.
 
The Afghan president had previously opposed a Qatar venue for peace talks, fearing that the Kabul government would be frozen out of any negotiations involving the extremists and the United States.