KABUL – The US Department of State said the Taliban in talks with the USnegotiators have agreed that peace will require both sides to fully addressfour core issues, including counterterrorism assurances, troop withdrawal,intra-Afghan dialogue, and a comprehensive ceasefire.
“We’ve received reports back from Special Representative Khalilzad thatthey’ve had meaningful progress,” Robert Palladino, the State Department’sdeputy spokesperson, told reporters at a daily briefing in Washington onTuesday, TOLO News has reported.
He said that in the fresh round of talks, the two sides were able to moveto agreement in draft on the first two principles.
“In this round of talks, we were able to move to agreement in draft on thefirst two principles, counterterrorism assurances and troop withdrawal. Andwhen that agreement in draft is finalized, Taliban and an inclusive Afghannegotiating team that includes the Afghan government and other Afghans tobegin intra-Afghan negotiation for a political settlement and acomprehensive ceasefire,” he added.
Hours after the news broke on Qatar talks, US Special Envoy ZalmayKhalilzad said in a tweet that he wrapped up a marathon round of talks withTaliban in Doha.
Khalilzad said peace requires agreement on four issues: counterterrorismassurances, troop withdrawal, intra-Afghan dialogue, and a comprehensiveceasefire.
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“In January talks, we “agreed in principle” on these four elements. We’renow “agreed in draft” on the first two,” he said in a tweet.
He said the conditions for peace have improved and that it is clear allsides want to end the war. “Despite ups and downs, we kept things on trackand made real strides,” he said.
Khalilzad said when the agreement in draft about a withdrawal timeline andeffective counterterrorism measures is finalized, the Taliban and otherAfghans, including the government, will begin intra-Afghan negotiations ona political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire.
source: link-%E2%80%98meaningful-progress%E2%80%99-doha
