Khalilzad in Kabul for talks on bilateral engagement

KABUL (Pajhwok): Minister of Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi has said there are opportunities to expand ties with the United States across various fields through sustained dialogue.

He made the remarks during a meeting with former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in Kabul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said on Sunday.

In a statement, the ministry said the discussions focused on ways, opportunities and challenges related to the development of bilateral relations between Afghanistan and the United States.

Muttaqi noted that more than four years after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and the end of the war, engagement between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and the United States had effectively entered a new phase.

He added that there were opportunities in many areas to expand relations between the two countries, which could be pursued through continued engagement.

For his part, Khalilzad described the security situation in Afghanistan as stable and praised the progress made in the reconstruction sector.

He also stressed the importance of dialogue on relevant issues between the two sides and emphasised the continuation of bilateral meetings.

kk/sa