According to a statement accredited to US State Department, US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad on Wednesday arrived in Kabul in an attempt to breathe new life into efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, adding that his next stop will be Doha, where he is due to rejoin talks with Taliban negotiators to discuss steps that could lead to a ceasefire and a settlement to the war in the country.
Doha (AFP) - Washington resumed talks with the Taliban in Qatar Saturday, a US source said, three months after President Donald Trump abruptly halted diplomatic efforts that could end America's longest war.
"The US rejoined talks today in Doha. The focus of discussion will be reduction of violence that leads to intra-Afghan negotiations and a ceasefire," said the source briefed on efforts to end almost two decades of war in Afghanistan.
In September, the United States and the Taliban had appeared on the verge of signing a deal that would have seen Washington begin withdrawing thousands of troops in return for security guarantees.
It was also expected to pave the way towards direct talks between the Taliban and the government in Kabul and, ultimately, a possible peace agreement after more than 18 years of war.
But that same month, Trump abruptly called the year-long effort "dead" and withdrew an invitation to the insurgents to join secret talks at his US retreat at Camp David after the killing of an American soldier.
During a surprise visit to a US military base in Afghanistan last week, Trump said the Taliban "wants to make a deal."
According to statement accredited to US State Department, US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad on Wednesday arrived in Kabul in an attempt to breathe new life into efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, adding that his next stop will be Doha, where he is due to rejoin talks with Taliban negotiators to discuss steps that could lead to a ceasefire and a settlement to the war in the country.
The statement said: "Ambassador Khalilzad will rejoin talks with the Taliban to discuss steps that could lead to intra-Afghan negotiations and a peaceful settlement of the war, specifically a reduction in violence that leads to a ceasefire."
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