New Delhi: The US envoy for Afghan peace talks, Zalmay Khalilzad, landed in Delhi Tuesday as part of a hurricane tour to “build international consensus” on the Taliban peace talks. His visit comes a day after the Modi government bifurcated the state of Jammu and Kashmir while taking away its ‘special status’.
“I will travel to #Delhi later today for pre-scheduled meetings to further build international consensus in support of the #AfghanPeaceProcess,” Khalilzad tweeted Monday.
I will travel to #Delhi later today for pre-scheduled meetings to further build international consensus in support of the #AfghanPeaceProcess.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) August 5, 2019
Khalilzad is visiting India after three days of marathon talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar.
He is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale in Delhi.
Khalilzad’s visit to Delhi was “pre-scheduled” and all interaction in India is part of the regional consultations with New Delhi, which has held the position that a rushed withdrawal of NATO troops and signing of a peace agreement may once again strengthen activities of the Taliban with the support of Pakistan.
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Talks making ‘excellent progress’
Khalilzad has been, however, claiming that the last round of talks in Doha was marked by “excellent progress”. “Building on excellent progress in Kabul last week, I’ve spent the last few days in Doha, focused on the remaining issues in completing a potential deal with the Taliban that would allow for a conditions-based troop withdrawal,” he tweeted. “We have made excellent progress.”
My team & Taliban representatives will continue to discuss technical details as well as steps and mechanisms required for a succesful implementation of the four-part agreement we've been working toward since my appointment. Agreement on these details is essential.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) August 5, 2019
The US envoy had been regularly consulting New Delhi in the talks despite the fact that India is not officially part of the talks. This is Khalilzad’s third visit to India this year. He was here first in January, followed by his trip in May and now.
This, however, will be his first meeting with Jaishankar since the latter took charge of the portfolio.
A meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is also likely, depending on the latter’s availability.
The visit also comes in the wake of a recent interview given to ThePrint by Tahir Qadiry, chargé d’affaires, Embassy of Afghanistan, who said Kabul wants more from New Delhi as it is an emerging power and could use its potential to lobby for Afghanistan and its people with the US, China and Russia that are part of the Taliban peace talks.
During a press briefing last week, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had highlighted that US continues to engage with India on the Taliban talks.
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