The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad began his new trip on Afghan peace in which he will travel to Afghanistan and Qatar to resume negotiations with the Taliban.

Khalilzad will travel to Afghanistan and Qatar from July 22 – August 1, as part of an overall effort to facilitate a peace process that ends the conflict in Afghanistan, the US Department of State said in a statement.

He will consult closely with the Afghan government on the next steps in the peace process, including identifying a national negotiating team that can participate in intra-Afghan negotiations, the statement said.

Khalilzad will also meet with the representatives of civil society, including peace advocates and women’s rights groups, to further encourage broad participation in the peace process and in Doha, he will resume talks with the Taliban, the statement added. 

Khalilzad who will arrive in Kabul today says in a tweet that Trump in meeting with Pakistani PM reiterated to the world that there is no reasonable military solution to the war in Afghanistan, and that peace must be achieved through a political settlement. 

Khalilzad says he is focused on achieving an enduring peace that ends the war, ensures terrorists do not use Afghanistan to threaten the US, honors the sacrifices that US, our allies and Afghans made, and cements an enduring relationship with Afghanistan.

The seventh round of US-Taliban talks in Doha was “most productive” as Khalilzad described.

The two sides have been discussing four key issues – US forces withdrawal, counter-terrorism assurances, a ceasefire and intra-Afghan talks.