WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday agreed with rivals Russia on Chinaon a goal of withdrawing foreign forces from Afghanistan, a key componentof a peace deal being negotiated by Washington.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy negotiating with the Taliban, met withRussian and Chinese representatives in Moscow as he seeks internationalconsensus for his efforts to end the war.
A joint statement by the three countries called for an “inclusiveAfghan-led” peace process and outlined many of the key points expected tofeature in an eventual deal.
“The three sides call for an orderly and responsible withdrawal of foreigntroops from Afghanistan as part of the overall peace process,” said thestatement issued by the US State Department.
They also said that the Taliban have made a “commitment” to fight theextremist group and sever ties to Al-Qaeda.
The Taliban have promised to “ensure the areas they control will not beused to threaten any other country,” the statement said, calling on them toprevent any “terrorist recruiting, training and fund-raising.”
President Donald Trump is eager to end America’s longest-ever war, whichwas launched in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, when the thenTaliban regime gave shelter to Al-Qaeda.
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Russia and China both have strong interests in Afghanistan. Some 14,000Soviet soldiers were killed in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989 in a conflictwith US-backed guerrillas.
China has been stepping up its involvement in Afghanistan both militarilyand economically as it voices worries that militants could sneak into itsrestive Muslim-majority Xinjiang region.
Khalilzad will also hold separate talks during his latest trip withPakistan and India, which have strongly different views on Afghanistan, andearlier huddled with European envoys in London.
One major sticking point is the Taliban’s refusal to negotiate with thegovernment of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, which has wide-ranginginternational support.
The United States, Russia and China called on the Taliban to speak as soonas possible with a “broad, representative Afghan delegation that includesthe government.” -APP/AFP
