DOHA, Qatar, March 13 (NNN-QNA) – Qatar announced that the United States and Taliban have made progress in their longest round of negotiations in Doha, to end a 17-year-old war in strife-torn Afghanistan.
The two sides agreed on a four-point draft comprehensive peace deal, to be implemented in accordance with time frames and conditions to be agreed upon.
The talks between Taliban and U.S. diplomats have lasted longer than any previous negotiations between the two sides, since U.S. troops entered Afghanistan in 2001.
It is unclear, however, if the Afghan government and other Afghan political leaders will be ready to embrace the tentative deal, worked out by U.S. presidential envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad.
The talks between the two sides focused on key issues, including the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces from Afghanistan, while Taliban pledged not to allow the use of Afghan territories, to undermine the security of the United States, any of its allies or any other country.
In statements on his Twitter account, Khalilzad said, the conditions for peace have improved.
“It’s clear, all sides want to end the war. Despite ups and downs, we kept things on track and made real strides,” Khalilzad said, adding that, another round is possible later this month, after 16 days of negotiations in Qatar’s Doha.
Khalilzad, however, said, “There is no final agreement until everything is agreed.”– NNN-QNA
