U.S.-Taliban negotiators ‘agreed in draft’ on troop withdrawal, counter-terrorism

The U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political leaders have ‘agreed in draft’ regarding the withdrawal of forces and counter-terrorism during the fifth round of talks in Qatar.

“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,” Ambassador Khalilzad said in a Twitter post.

He said “Peace requires agreement on four issues: counter-terrorism assurances, troop withdrawal, intra-Afghan dialogue, and a comprehensive ceasefire. In January talks, we “agreed in principle” on these four elements. We’re now “agreed in draft” on the first two.”

He also added “When the agreement in draft about a withdrawal timeline and effective counterterrorism measures is finalized, the Taliban and other #Afghans, including the government, will begin intra-Afghan negotiations on a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire.”

Meanwhile, Ambassador Khalilzad has said that will consult with Washington and other partners in this regard and the next round of talks would be convened soon.