The next round of peace talks between the United States and Taliban begins in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday amid renewed hopes for a rapid progress in ending the 18-year-old war.
Both sides are hoping to finalise a draft text, addressing key issues like withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, a nationwide ceasefire and intra-Afghan talks.
“Based on my recent visits to Afghanistan and Qatar, I believe all sides want rapid progress,” US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad wrote in a tweet. He also confirmed that the next round of talks will start on June 29.
A Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, told US broadcasting network, VOA, that the Afghan peace process was “progressing …steadily (and) gradually”. He hoped that the process “may gain momentum, paving the way for the Afghans to sit together and chart a roadmap for a future Islamic system and government”.
