KABUL has embarked upon a visit to Doha and Kabul in a bid to push the peace process.
Zalmay Khalilzad would hold meetings with top Afghan government officials and representatives of Taliban’s political office in Doha, the State Department said on Monday.
“Khalilzad departed on May 17 for travel to Doha and Kabul”, a statement from the statement — hours after President Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah signed a political agreement.
In Doha, the envoy will meet Taliban representatives on implementation of the US-Taliban agreement and press for steps to initiate intra-Afghan negotiations, including a significant reduction of violence.
“In Kabul, he will meet senior government officials to explore steps the Afghan government needs to take to make intra-Afghan negotiations begin as soon as possible,” the statement added.
Washington believes the launch of intra-Afghan talks would help the United States withdraw its troops from Afghanistan in an orderly manner.
Scheduled to begin on March 10, the dialogue is yet to commence due to increased violence, the slow pace of prisoner releases and the delay in Ghani-Abdullah accord.
PAN Monitor/mud
Views: 0