Taliban will become a pariah if they takeover Afghanistan by force
Khalilzad said the United States remains committed to promoting a political settlement between warring Afghans, stressing that neither side to the conflict can win militarily.
Khalilzad said the United States remains committed to promoting a political settlement between warring Afghans, stressing that neither side to the conflict can win militarily.
The US Department of State also issued a statement reiterating its commitment to the political settlement in Afghanistan.
The intra-Afghan talks which were slated to begin on March 10 in Oslo were delayed because of the issues over the timing of the Taliban prisoner release.
The US-Taliban deal signed in Qatar on February 29 calls for the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners to open the way for intra-Afghan negotiations.
Pompeo and Ghani agreed to work on the details of the peace process in the coming days, with the Afghan government in particular emphasizing the undeclared ceasefire mechanism that sets out the rules of the game, he added.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation also renewed its appeal to "all Afghan leaders and parties to urgently reduce violence and work for lasting ceasefire" .
The meeting was announced by the Taliban on Twitter, and Khalilzad's trip to Qatar was confirmed by a statement from the US State Department
The agreement, signed by Khalilzad and a senior Taliban official on February 29 in Doha, established a framework for bringing to an end America’s longest war, begun after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Pompeo is set to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani along with his archrival Abdullah Abdullah, who also claims the presidency.
"The Taliban commit that released prisoners will abide by the commitments made in the peace agreement and not return to the battlefield", he added.
