US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Kabul on Monday. He began the trip by meeting with Afghan government representatives with responsibility for the Afghan Peace Process, including the President’s Chief of Staff Rahimi & SE Daudzai. The two sides discussed the urgency of making progress on intra-Afghan dialogue.
Khalilzad also met with Kabul and provincial representatives of the Afghan Women’s Network to discuss many issues. “While Afghans alone will decide the composition of their delegation for talks, women must be at the table during all negotiations about peace & Afghanistan’s future”, the US envoy wrote on Twitter.
Khalilzad also had a meeting with Chief Executive Abdullah and Foreign Minister Salauddin Rabbani, and discussed how the international community can best support them in an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned Afghan Peace Process.
Moreover, he met with Hekmat Karzai & Omar Zakhilwal and agreed that intra-Afghan dialogue should be comprehensive and inclusive with representatives from the Afghan government, women, young people, and civil society.
While meeting with Professor Sayyaf on Monday, Khalilzad discussed the peace process including next steps on intra-Afghan dialogue & the formation of an inclusive negotiating team. Prof Sayyaf emphasized that all non-Talib Afghan leaders including the government must be on the same page on peace.
