Washington DC, July 20: United States special representative for Afghan peace reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has on Friday held talks with Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the Indian ambassador to the US, over the Afghan peace process to put an end to the 18-year-long civil war in the nation.
Khalilzad, who has recently held the seventh round of peace talks with the Taliban, hinted the launch of “another mission” would make additional progress.
He also held talks with Germany envoy to US Emily Haber, as well as, Uzbekistan foreign minister Abdulaziz Khafizavich Kamilov, according to ANI news reports.
In a tweet, Khalilzad said: “In addition to briefing management while in DC, I had the opportunity to consult w/ Amb Haber of #Germany, Amb Shringla of #India & Foreign Minister Kamilov of #Uzbekistan on the #AfghanPeaceProcess. Getting ready to launch on another mission in the hope of making further progress.”
In addition to briefing management while in DC, I had the opportunity to consult w/ Amb Haber of #Germany, Amb Shringla of #India & Foreign Minister Kamilov of #Uzbekistan on the #AfghanPeaceProcess. Getting ready to launch on another mission in hope of making further progress. pic.twitter.com/SyFCveB5vv
— U.S. Special Representative Thomas West (@US4AfghanPeace) July 20, 2019
On July 9, a landmark Afghan peace negotiations between the influential Afghans and the Taliban, including the government officials, agreed to a “roadmap for peace” that could pave ways to put an end to the 18-year-long civil war and crisis in Afghanistan. A joint statement released calling for an end to casualties and the protection of rights of women within the “Islamic framework”.
The so-called “roadmap for peace” eventually based on conditions including regional powers’ “zero interference” and the return of displaced people. The joint statement further stressed Kabul was “suffering daily”.
“Afghanistan shall not be the witness of another war in the country and [an] intra-Afghan agreement between different levels of the society is vital and crucial,” it said.
The seventh round of peace talks between the insurgent group and the US negotiators is likely to be relaunch later on Tuesday. Both sides hoped to reach a deal that would oversee American troops’ withdrawal of Afghanistan in return for the Taliban’s commitment to not to use Afghan soil for terrorism purposes.
The Taliban has repeatedly refused to hold direct dialogues with the Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani-led government until Washington announces its final timetable for troops’ withdrawal from the region.
Also read: Taliban, Afghan agree ‘roadmap for peace’ to end war at intra-Afghan summit