Afghan government representatives and the opposition Taliban are meeting in Norway, officials said Tuesday, according to dpa. The two sides are attending the Oslo Forum, a two-day informal gathering of diplomats hosted by Norway's Foreign Minister Borge Brende. "The Oslo Forum is an important meeting place for over 100 mediators from all over the world, and it is not unnatural that representatives from various groups in Afghanistan are here too," Brende said, as reported by NTB news agency. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry told dpa that it was up to the Afghan authorities and the Taliban to comment on the scope of the talks and any possible meetings they have. Also present Tuesday is the president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos. Norway has along with Cuba sponsored peace talks between Colombia's government and the leftist FARC rebels.
