(UTV|COLOMBO) – The top US envoy seeking to broker peace in Afghanistan has met one of the Taliban’s co-founders for the first time, as the latest round of talks get under way in Qatar.
Special representative Zalmay Khalilzad said he held a working lunch with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar before “moving on to talks”.
Mullah Baradar was recently released from a Pakistani prison.
His presence in Qatar is thought to improve the chances of a deal.
Last month’s US-Taliban talks in Qatar made progress in ending 17 years of conflict in Afghanistan, the US said.
US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said the January talks had been “more productive than they have been in the past” but added there were a number of issues still to work out.
He said a “draft framework” of a peace deal had been agreed, based on commitments by the US to withdraw international forces from Afghanistan, and from the Taliban not to allow jihadist groups to operate in the country.
The Taliban also said progress had been made in the negotiations. However, a spokesman added that talks about “unsolved matters” would continue.
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