U.S. Peace Envoy to Revisit Kabul

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad will visit Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar with an “interagency delegation” from November 8 to 20 to push for peace negotiations with the Taliban, the U.S. Department of State said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the statement, Khalilzad will meet with Afghan government officials and other interested parties to advance the goal of an intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations that include the Taliban and lead to a sustainable peace.

“A sustainable peace requires that all Afghans have a say in their country’s future,” the statement said.

Khalilzad met Taliban leaders in Qatar last month as part of efforts to pave the ground for ending the 17-year-long war in Afghanistan, according to the Taliban.

“On his last trip to the region in October, Special Representative Khalilzad called on the Afghan Government and the Taliban to organize authoritative negotiating teams, and has been encouraged to see that both parties are taking steps in that direction,” the statement said.

The statement added that the United States remains committed to a political settlement that results in an end to the war and to the terrorist threat posed to the United States and the world.

“A peaceful Afghanistan can play a catalytic role in regional trade and development,”the statement concluded.