Margaret Beckett has ruled out any immediate negotiation with Taleban rebels even though British soldiers in Afghanistan have spoken about luring lukewarm insurgents away from violence.

The Foreign Secretary, who arrived in Kabul last night, said that she had “no inclination to hold dialogue” when asked if Britain was prepared to open talks with the Taleban. But she left open the possibility of talks with Taleban sympathisers or those no longer active.

She made her comments after meeting Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai, the governor of the North West Frontier Province in neighbouring Pakistan, whose own peace settlement with insurgents in North Waziristan has drawn criticism.

Mrs Beckett’s statement, the day after Britain announced that it would send a further 1,400 troops to Afghanistan, contrasted with the situation on the ground where Nato forces and the Afghan Government have tried to split hard-line Taleban commanders from conscripted troops.

Lieutenant-Colonel Rory Bruce, the spokesman for UK forces in Helmand province, insisted that some Taleban fighters — those motivated only by money — could be persuaded to stop fighting.

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