Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been quoted as saying there have been secret contacts between the United States and Afghan governments and the Taliban.
Quoted by "The Wall Street Journal," Karzai said the Taliban were "definitively" interested in ending Afghanistan's 10-year war, and that all three sides were involved in discussions.
In the past, the Taliban has reportedly refused to talk to members of the Afghan government, considering it to be controlled by Washington.
According to the newspaper, Karzai declined to specify the location of the talks or go into further detail, saying he feared this could damage the process.
Commentators say Washington is eager to see the talks move forward so it can announce the start of actual peace negotiations at a NATO summit in Chicago in May.
Compiled from agency reports