简体中文
A U.S. negotiator has urged the Taliban in new talks to curb violence and preserve a two-month-old accord aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan, the State Department said on Wednesday.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy who brokered the February 29 agreement for bringing peace to Afghanistan after more than 18 years of conflict, flew out Tuesday to Qatar for the new meeting on a trip that will also include stops in India and Pakistan.
Khalilzad will urge support for an immediate reduction in violence, accelerated timeline for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, and cooperation among all sides in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan, a State Department statement said.
Under the agreement with the Islamist fighters, the U.S. has started to withdraw troops from Afghanistan as part of President Donald Trump's bid to end America's longest war.
The Taliban promised not to strike forces from the U.S.-led coalition, but made no such pledges toward Afghan troops.
Officials have instead reported a surge in violence as the militants appear to seek to press their advantage, and efforts have stalled to launch talks between the Taliban and the internationally recognized government.
The U.S. military on Saturday warned the Taliban of "responses" if the attacks do not ebb.
Khalilzad has sought to ensure that major players are on board with U.S. diplomacy.
Pakistan has welcomed the accord, while India has been among the countries most uneasy about a U.S. withdrawal, fearing that militants virulently opposed to New Delhi will be emboldened.
(Cover: U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad. /AFP)
(CGTN)
