KABUL - No significant progress was made in renewed talks with the Taliban in Doha, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during his visit to Kabul on Sunday.
Khalilzad said that they were waiting for Taliban’s clear response on a practical mechanism for ceasefire or significant and lasting reduction in violence that would be acceptable to Afghan people and US government, according to a statement from Ghani’s office.
He said that there were no significant progress in the talks and they were hoping to reach a conclusion.
On his visit to Islamabad, Khalilzad said that issues of Afghan peace and Afghan refugees living in Pakistan were discussed in the talks with Pakistani officials.
Khalilzad met also with Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah who said that the Taliban should understand the realities of the society, seize opportunity for peace and immediately stop killings.
He reiterated that peace efforts cannot be under the monopoly of any institution of group, adding all political movements, national personalities, women and civil society institutions should have presence in peace negotiations.
For his part, Khalilzad said that the US was committed to clearly defined reduction in violence, acceptable to US and Afghanistan, as a precondition to signing deal with the Taliban, adding it was waiting for the group’s response in this regard.
The envoy also emphasized that Afghanistan’s negotiating team should be all-inclusive. (1TV NEWS)