Khalilzad To Visit Kabul, Doha For Talks With Afghan Leaders, Taliban - State Department

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st March, 2021) US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad will visit the Qatari and Afghan capitals to hold talks with Afghan authorities and Taliban representatives, the State Department informs.

"Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Khalilzad and his team will travel to Kabul, Doha, and additional regional capitals. He will resume discussions on the way ahead with the Islamic Republic and Afghan leaders, Taliban representatives, and regional countries whose interests are best served by the achievement of a just and durable political settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire," the State Department said in a Sunday statement.

This will be Khalilzad's first trip since US President Joe Biden took office.

In January, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Khalilzad was going to stay in his capacity in the new US administration.

Blinken also said that agreements the United States reached a year ago with the Taliban were being reviewed by the new US administration.

On February 29, 2020, the United States and the Taliban movement signed a peace deal in Doha, Qatar, stipulating a gradual withdrawal of US troops as well as the beginning of intra-Afghan negotiations and prisoner exchanges. The talks were delayed multiple times until the Afghan government and the Taliban managed to agree on the prisoner exchange process.

The Afghan government and the Taliban launched peace talks in Doha in September of last year.