Khalilzad, Uzbekistan Leaders Discuss Afghan Peace Process

The U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad held talks with the Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kalimov in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan and discussed the Afghan peace process.

“We discussed critical role region plays in achieving and sustaining peace, and in accelerated regional integration afterwards,” Khalilzad said in a tweet on Friday.

Khalilzad said that he thanked Uzbekistan Officials for support of Afghan Peace Process and offer to host intra-Afghan dialogue in the future.

Uzbekistan Foreign Office also said in a statement that the U.S, delegation led by Khalilzad and Uzbek Foreign Minister Kamilov discussed prospects for the start of intra-Afghan dialogue among the other issues.

“At bilateral consultations, it is planned to exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan and prospects for launching the mechanism of inter-Afghan peace negotiations, to discuss the issues of implementation of socio-economic and infrastructure projects in Afghanistan initiated by Uzbekistan,” the statement said.

Khalilzad also met with the Afghan students in Tashkent, according to him, the students were “thoughtful, hardworking, and well informed.”

“These young Afghans living abroad also yearn deeply for peace and a brighter future for Afghanistan,” he added.

As the U.S. efforts continue to make a way for an intra-Afghan negotiation, the Afghan government is trying to form a negotiation team who will participate in talks with the Taliban representatives in Doha between 19 and 21 April.