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Ghani and Khalilzad meet to discuss next phase in peace process
President Ashraf Ghani met with US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday, the Presidential Palace (ARG) said in a statement adding that both sides discussed the next steps in the peace process and emphasized the importance of expediting efforts.
Khalilzad pledged that the US will play an effective role in ensuring peace in Afghanistan, ARG said.
This comes after Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah met with Khalilzad in Kabul on Monday morning to discuss the Afghan peace process.
After their meeting, Abdullah tweeted: “As always pleased to meet HE Zalmay Khalilzad
and his accompanying delegation.
“We discussed the peace process, talks in Doha, the US current review, and the steps forward.
“We reiterated our call for an immediate end to violence and the acceleration of the peace talks,” he said.
Khalilzad’s trip to the region marks the restart of peace negotiations with the Taliban for the US under the Biden administration.
The US State Department said in a statement: “(Khalilzad) will resume discussions on the way ahead with the Islamic Republic and Afghan leaders, Taliban representatives, and regional countries whose interests are best served by the achievement of a just and durable political settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.”
Reports also indicated that Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hizb-e-Islami, on Monday talked with US Khalilzad.
“In a virtual conference they discussed Afghan peace process and the way out of the current stalemate,” the reports stated.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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