KABUL – The US peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, referring to a meeting withGen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, saidthat a political settlement in Afghanistan will help reduce the burden ofwar and protect the gains made in Afghanistan.
Khalilzad, who previously engaged in nine rounds of talks with the Taliban,also said that a political settlement in Afghanistan will help protect theUnited States from terrorism.
On his Twitter account, Khalilzad wrote about General Milley and theirshared understanding: “He knows Afghanistan well. We agreed that apolitical settlement that safeguards the homeland from terrorist threats,allows us to reduce the burden of war, and protects two decades of progressin Afghanistan is in our national interest.”
Mutasim Agha Jan, a minister of finance during the Taliban regime,suggested that in order to bring the stalled peace process back on track,both the Afghan government and the Taliban should be open: “No sideinvolved in the peace process should bring preconditions.”
Sediq Sediqqi, the presidential spokesman, affirmed the Afghan government’scommitment to negotiating a ceasefire, ending the war, and “restoring adignified and sustainable peace in Afghanistan.”
Mawlavi Qalamuddin, a former Taliban member, acknowledged difficulties. Thefirst was expectations: “Many suggest that the negotiations should beresumed from the point where they were stopped, and not from thebeginning.” And, he added, “there is no consensus between us as we stillawait the result of the election.”
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A number of lawmakers in Afghanistan’s parliament have expressed hope thatthe talks will resume soon:
“There is a need for an inclusive peace delegation,” said MP Azim Kibrzani.
“We hope that this process is resumed so that we can have dignified peacein the country,” said MP Sayed Hassan Paktiawal.
The US and the Taliban will resume their negotiations once the result ofthe Afghan presidential election has been announced, sources say, TOLO Newshas reported.
