US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said Friday that he wrapped up two days in Moscow at the “Extended Troika” meeting, aimed at accelerating peace negotiations. 

Khalilzad called the meeting a “productive diplomacy in support of the Afghan peace process.” 

“We encouraged delegations representing the Islamic Republic and the Taliban, which included many prominent leaders, to prepare for and attend a leaders’ meeting in Istanbul in early April, the next critical milestone in the peace process,” Khalilzad tweeted.

1/3 Wrapped up two days in Moscow at “Extended Troika” meeting. Productive diplomacy in support of the #AfghanPeaceProcess. The Extended Troika group (US, Russia, China, & Pakistan) issued a strong statement in support of accelerating peace negotiations. https://t.co/NINFcntQY7

— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) March 19, 2021

He also welcomed the appointment of Jean Arnault, a very experienced diplomat, as the UN representative to assist with peace negotiations.

Russia hosted the peace summit in Moscow on Thursday which brought together representatives of the Afghan Republic and the Taliban, along with other key stakeholders, aimed at accelerating the peace process in Afghanistan.

Russia, China, the US, and Pakistan, also known as the Troika, issued a joint statement on Thursday, calling on the warring parties for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.

The four countries participating in the extended “Troika” have agreed as follows:

1. We acknowledge the widespread and sincere demand of the Afghan people for a lasting and just peace and an end to the war and confirm that a sustainable peace can only be achieved through a negotiated political settlement.
2. We call on all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to reduce the level of violence in the country and on the Taliban not to pursue a Spring offensive, so as to avoid further casualties and to create an environment conducive to reaching a negotiated political settlement.
3. As stated in the UNSC resolution 2513 (2020), we do not support the restoration of the Islamic Emirate and we call on the Government of the Islamic Republic and the High Council for National Reconciliation to engage openly with their Taliban counterparts regarding a negotiated settlement.
4. We urge participants in the intra-Afghan negotiations to engage immediately in discussions on fundamental issues to resolve the conflict, including the foundations of the future peaceful and stable Afghan state, the content of a political roadmap leading to an inclusive government, and the modalities of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. At this pivotal moment, our four states call on the parties to negotiate and conclude a peace agreement that will bring an end to over four decades of war in Afghanistan.
5. We strongly advocate a durable and just political resolution that will result in the formation of an independent, sovereign, unified, peaceful, democratic, and self-sufficient Afghanistan, free of terrorism and an illicit drug industry, which contributes to the creation of pull factors for the voluntary, sustainable, and expeditious return of Afghan refugees; stability; and global security.
6. We call on all Afghans including the Government of the Islamic Republic and the Taliban to ensure that terrorist groups and individuals do not use Afghan soil to threaten the security of any other country.
7. We reaffirm that any peace agreement must include protections for the rights of all Afghans, including women, men, children, victims of war, and minorities, and should respond to the strong desire of all Afghans for economic, social, and political development including the rule of law.
8. We encourage all concerned countries to support the Afghan people and contribute to a lasting peace in the interest of all. We reaffirm our commitment to mobilize international political and economic support for a post-political settlement in Afghanistan.
9. We appreciate the long-standing support of the State of Qatar to facilitate the peace process, and we support the continuation of discussions between the parties’ negotiating teams in Doha, which began in September 2020 and which have resulted in meaningful progress toward a political settlement.
10. We recognize and welcome all international efforts that are underway to facilitate and support a negotiated settlement as soon as possible. We note that the UN Secretary-General Guterres’ appointment of Mr. Jean Arnault as his personal envoy on Afghanistan and regional issues. We welcome the UN playing a positive and constructive role in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process.

Meanwhile, the Afghan government welcomed the joint statement of the Troika and called it “a step forward towards beginning serious negotiations for achieving peace based on the demands of the people of Afghanistan.”

“Welcome joint statement of Troika+ talks in Moscow and share the call for ending hostilities and moving towards a peaceful settlement that preserves our sovereignty, unity, democracy, and equal rights of all Afghans, “ Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar said.