Washington’s special envoy to Afghanistan met with the Taliban in Qatar, the insurgents said on Saturday, as efforts intensify to revive a peace process faced with mounting violence and a U.S. troop withdrawal deadline.
The envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, held talks earlier this week with Afghan leaders in Kabul, including President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chair of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, which oversees the government’s talks with the insurgents.
Taliban spokesman Muhamad Naeem tweeted that Mr. Khalilzad and the top U.S. General in Afghanistan met with the insurgents’ negotiating team in Doha late on Friday.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to the Doha agreement and discussed its full implementation. Likewise, the current situation of Afghanistan and the rapidity and effectiveness of the Intra-Afghan negotiations were discussed,” he wrote.
The accord states that the U.S. will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan, with the Taliban promising not to allow territory to be used by terrorists.
