New Delhi: US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Tuesday met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and apprised him about progress in the Afghan peace process.
Khalilzad's visit here comes amid signals that the US-brokered peace deal with the Taliban is likely to be finalised soon to end the nearly two-decade-long war in Afghanistan.
"Useful discussions with US Special Representative @US4AfghanPeace Zalmay Khalilzad. Provided a comprehensive update on the situation in Afghanistan. Shared views on how we could work together effectively," Jaishankar tweeted.
On Monday, Khalilzad said "excellent progress" has been made in the peace talks and the potential deal with the Taliban would allow for the conditions-based withdrawal of US troops from
Afghanistan.
"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. We have made excellent progress," he tweeted on Monday.
India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
In a significant move, India had sent two former diplomats in "non-official" capacity to a conference on the Afghan peace process in Moscow in November last year which was attended by a high-level Taliban delegation.
The conference organised by Russia was attended by representatives of Afghanistan as well as from several other countries including the US, Pakistan and China.
India has been maintaining a policy of not engaging with the Taliban and pressing for an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace initiative to bring peace and stability in the war-ravaged country.
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