The Taliban have said they were ready for talks with the Afghan government, one day after Hamid Karzai, the president, offered negotiations in a bid to end bloodshed.
"For the sake of national interests ... we are fully ready for talks with the government," Yousuf Ahmadi, senior Taliban spokesman, told AFP on Monday.
The spokesman said the Taliban could hold talks with the Afghan government as it did with South Korean officials over 21 hostages who were freed after several meetings.
"As we did hold negotiations with the South Korean government, we can hold talks at an even higher level with the government," he said by telephone from an undisclosed location.
Karzai has regularly offered talks with the Taliban, and there have been rumours that contact has already been made.
The president denied on Monday that "formal negotiations" were under way with the fighters but said he was ready to start such dialogue if he could find the "address for the Taliban".
Ahmadi responded: "If they want our address - we're among the people. If they're honest for talks, we're ready for it."