US Envoy Khalilzad Meets Taliban Representatives
According to reports, the U.S. envoy for Afghanistan peace efforts met with Taliban representatives in Qatar on Friday.
According to reports, the U.S. envoy for Afghanistan peace efforts met with Taliban representatives in Qatar on Friday.
The U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad met with Taliban officials in Doha, the second time in four months that American officials have held face-to-face talks with Taliban representatives. The WSJ reported, citing a person familiar with the gathering.
However, it was not clear what the two sides discussed.
Khalilzad, who is trying to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, is currently on his first trip as the special representative. His 11-day trip was to take him to Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The US State Department declined to say whether the meeting with Taliban officials in Doha took place.
“We can’t confirm specific meetings or the content of diplomatic conversations,” said a State Department spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Special Representative Khalilzad held a number of meetings with a wide range of stakeholders as part of his trip to explore how best to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan,” the spokesperson added.
Alice Wells, the American State Department deputy assistant secretary for South and Central Asia, met Taliban officials in Doha in July for what were described as talks about talks.
This comes as Zalmay Khalilzad during a visit from Afghanistan last Monday, called on the two sides to introduce their representatives for peace talks.
