KABUL (Pajhwok): US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has embarked on a new trip to several to push the Trump administration’s Afghan peace initiative.
Khalilzad is heading an inter-agency delegation from February 10 to 28 on visits to Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, Afghanistan.
The State Department says the trip is part of an overall effort to facilitate a peace process that protects US national security interests.
The Trump administration is eyeing a process that brings all Afghan parties together in an intra-Afghan dialogue through which they can determine a path for their country’s future.
During recent peace negotiations in Qatar, both American and Taliban envoys voiced optimism over prospects for a peace agreement.
Khalilzad hopes a deal could be reached before Afghanistan’s presidential elections in July. However, he says there is still a long way to go before a final agreement.
The trip, which began on Sunday, will continue till Feb 28, when the chief US negotiator will return to Washington for consultations.
Khalilzad will meet “our allies and partners to discuss mutual efforts to advance that goal and will consult with the Afghan government throughout the trip”, the statement added.
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