The U.S. envoy for Afghan peace Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad departed on September 04 for travel to Doha and “will be traveling in the region to advance ongoing U.S. efforts to promote the immediate start of intra-Afghan negotiations,” said the U.S. State Department in a statement.
“Afghan leaders must seize this historic opportunity for peace,” the statement read, adding that important steps have been taken to “remove” hurdles on the way to start of intra-Afghan negotiations.
“Now is the time to start [the direct talks],” it further added.
It comes as the Taliban insurgents on Saturday named a 21-member delegation led by Mawlawi Abdul Hakim for peace talks with the Afghan government.
Zabihullah Mujahed, a Taliban’s spokesman, said in tweet that a 21-member team led by Mawlawi Abdul Hakim had been finalized and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai had been appointed as deputy head of the team.
Earlier last week, the Afghan State Ministry for Peace Affairs announced it had made all logistical preparations ahead of peace talks, and the government negotiators would leave for Doha very soon to begin the much-delayed talks with the Taliban.
The government negotiators, according to sources, were set to fly to Qatar on Thursday, but the travel was postponed as reportedly the Taliban’s negotiating team wasn’t ready.
However, when the government negotiating team leave for the Qatari capital of Doha and start the talks still remains unclear.
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