The US Embassy in Kabul said in a statement that the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad departed Kabul Sunday evening following productive talks with President Ghani on accelerating a settlement process, reducing violence across Afghanistan, and supporting Afghan security forces if violence continues. 

“He discussed with President Ghani and other leaders how to ensure the intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha next week, in which representatives of the Afghan government and wider society will participate, can best advance our shared goal of accelerating a settlement process,” says the statement.

The statement says that Ambassador Khalilzad underscored the imperative of reducing violence across Afghanistan in the coming weeks and explored ways to build broader regional support for the current effort to realize the Afghan people’s yearning for peace.

Khalilzad, who visited Kabul in a multi-nation visit on Afghan peace, also met with representatives of the civil society, women, youth as well as tribal elders to discuss the way forward to a peaceful Afghanistan. 

In his last meeting in Kabul on Sunday, he met with members of the People's Peace Movement where they emphasized on all-inclusive Afghan talks. 

Khalilzad will also travel to Uzbekistan, Jordan and Qatar until April 10, according to the US Department of State.

The US special envoy held meetings with his counterparts at the European Union in Belgium last week where they discussed their shared values.

“We talked about our countries’ shared values, and about the meaningful political and social gains in Afghanistan over the last 18 years, especially for women and children, which must be prioritized in the peace process,” Khalilzad said in a tweet last week.

In his meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on March 29, Khalilzad briefed the NATO allies on the Afghan peace talks.

“NATO and US forces serve shoulder-to-shoulder in Afghanistan. Our shared goal is to reach a peace agreement worthy of the sacrifices made over decades of war. Together we’re committed to achieving genuine intra-Afghan dialogue on a political settlement that ends the conflict,” Khalilzad said.