Khalilzad Starts another Tour to Region to Discuss Afghan Peace

According to the statement, Ambassador Khalilzad will visit India, China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to discuss Afghan peace with senior government officials in each country.
“Special Representative Khalilzad will meet with Afghan government officials and other interested parties to support and facilitate an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan, empowering the Afghan people to chart a shared course for their nation’s future,” the statement said.
The statement further says that Khalilzad continues to coordinate his efforts with President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah, and other Afghan stakeholders to ensure an intra-Afghan peace process.
“The U.S. goal is to promote dialogue among Afghans about how to end the conflict, and to encourage the parties to come together at the negotiating table to reach a political settlement where every Afghan citizen enjoys equal rights and responsibilities under the rule of law,” the statement emphasized.
During his last trip in December, Special Representative Khalilzad reiterated that the only solution to the conflict is for all parties to sit together and reach an agreement on the political future of Afghanistan with mutual respect and acceptance.
The new move comes after Taliban canceled planned peace talks with U.S. officials in Qatar this week on Wednesday over an “agenda disagreement”.
However, the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass in an online post has rejected reports on meeting between U.S. and Taliban representatives in Qatar.
“Reports of US-Taliban talks is inaccurate. Taliban should talk to fellow Afghans as much as they talk to media,” Ambassador Bass said in a tweet.