- Khalilzad to hold meetings with country’s civil and military leadership to discuss progress achieved in the Afghan peace process
ISLAMABAD, June 2: A high-level consultative meeting between Pakistan and the United States took place on Sunday at the Foreign Office (FO) with the US delegation led by Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, sources reported.
The Pakistani delegation was led by Additional Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Aftab Khokhar.
The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest including bilateral ties, regional peace situation, and the Afghan peace process. Khokhar maintained that Pakistan would continue to play its mediatory role for establishment of peace in the region.
The Pakistani delegation also advised that all sides should focus on achieving a political resolution to the Afghanistan conflict.
According to a press statement from the US State Department, the special envoy will travel to Afghanistan, Belgium, Germany, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 31 to June 16, 2019.
In Pakistan, Khalilzad is also scheduled to hold meetings with the country’s civilian and military leadership to discuss progress achieved in the Afghan peace process.
“He will work to build international support for the Afghan peace process,” read the statement, “And endeavour to ensure that any peace settlement reached will be sustainable.”
Khalilzad will continue talks with Taliban in Doha, Qatar. “In Kabul, Special Representative Khalilzad will consult with the Afghan government and other Afghans, including representatives of civil society and women’s rights groups, to encourage all parties to work towards intra-Afghan negotiations that lead to a final peace settlement.”
Prior to his arrival, Khalilzad hailed the meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of OIC summit in Makkah.
In a tweet, he said the meeting will “improve relations between the two countries and help to implement and capitalise opportunities for regional connectivity, integration and development.”
Earlier, he took to Twitter to announce his latest tour and said there had been “substantial progress over the last month”.
“After two weeks in Washington, I’m back on the road. We’ve made substantial progress over the last month,” he shared. “On this trip, I want to take that momentum and accelerate the Afghan Peace Process.”
Khalilzad said he was specifically focusing on integrating regional and international support for peace and try to bring the first two parts of our peace framework to closure. “We are moving forward. I am optimistic. Success will require other parties to show flexibility.”-Agencies
