Observer report
Kabul
US special representative for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, will resume peace talks with the Taliban soon, sources with knowledge of the issue said on Wednesday.
Khalilzad who has, since late last year, held eight rounds of talks with the Taliban to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan, is scheduled to travel to Qatar’s capital of Doha from Kabul, via Pakistan.
“I’m off to Doha, with a stop in Islamabad. In Doha, if the Taliban do their part, we will do ours, and conclude the agreement we have been working on,” Khalilzad said on Twitter.
Khalilzad, an Afghan-born American diplomat, was appointed last year to negotiate a political settlement with the Taliban, who now control more territory than at any point since their ouster nearly 18 years ago.
He arrived in Kabul in July and held meetings with President Ashraf Ghani, top security officials, senior opposition leaders, diplomats, and civil society members to discuss the peace process before striking a deal with the Taliban.
