WASHINGTON - Discussions between the United States and Turkey on security cooperation in Afghanistan are ongoing, a U.S. State Department spokesman said on Monday, after Ankara offered to operate and guard the Kabul airport after the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
Spokesperson Ned Price declined to provide details on how arrangements for the airport would work.
“We certainly welcome Turkey’s constructive role when it comes to the withdrawal and the broader safety and security situation in Afghanistan,” Price said, adding that the two countries were still discussing broader security cooperation in Afghanistan.
this comes after Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met on Monday with US Special Representative for Peace in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad to discuss the Afghan peace process and regional stability.
According to Qatar’s The Peninsula, relations of bilateral cooperation between Qatar and the US were reviewed during the meeting, as well as the latest developments in the region, especially in Afghanistan.
During the meeting, the two sides affirmed the State of Qatar’s efforts and role in mediating to achieve stability in light of the ongoing developments in the field, as well as its commitment to encourage dialogue between brothers in Afghanistan and facilitate peace talks until a just and lasting political settlement is reached in Afghanistan. (ATN)