US Special Envoy for Afghanistan to Visit India to Discuss its Role in Peace Process

New Delhi: The US special envoy for Afghanistan will visit both India and Pakistan and meet Taliban negotiators in Doha and persuade all stakeholders more regional support.

US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad will urge the stakeholder to speed up peace talks, press for less violence, and co-operate on Covid-19 pandemic, the US State Department said.

Khalilzad departed for Doha on May 5 and will travel to Doha, New Delhi and Islamabad. He will meet Taliban leaders in Doha and urge them to follow the US-Taliban agreement.

In New Delhi, he will discuss India’s role in ensuring peace in Afghanistan. In Pakistan, he will meet officials and discuss the Afghan peace process.

“In Doha, Ambassador Khalilzad will meet with Taliban representatives to press for full implementation of the U.S.-Taliban agreement. In New Delhi, he will meet with Indian officials to discuss the important role of India in sustainable peace in Afghanistan and the region. In Islamabad, he will meet with Pakistani officials and also discuss the Afghan peace process,” the State Department said in a statement.

“At each stop, he will urge support for an immediate reduction in violence, accelerated timeline for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, and cooperation among all sides in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan,” it added.

The statement did not give the schedule of Khalilzad’s itinerary during his visits to the three nations.

This is the US envoy’s second visit since April 12 amid concerns of increased Taliban attacks and pandemic dealing a body blow to the stalled peace process in the region. Khalilzad signed a historic peace accord with the Taliban’s Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in February.

US-Taliban peace accord

India welcomed the US-Afghanistan peace deal signed in February, noting that the entire political spectrum in Afghanistan including the government, backed the Doha accord. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it hopes that the agreements will bring prolonged peace to the region.

On the issuance of a joint declaration between Afghan and US governments and the signing of US-Taliban Agreement, MEA said, “India’s consistent policy is to support all opportunities that can bring peace, security, and stability in Afghanistan”.

Washington’s chief negotiator Khalilzad and Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar signed the Doha accord which was overseen by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, along with Qatari and Afghan government officials. The deal marked an end to US’ longest war which lasted for 18 years.

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Source: TNN

Image Courtesy: Telesur

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