US envoy arrives in Kabul to relaunch Taliban peace talks

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (KUNA) -- The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has travelled to Kabul and Doha to relaunch stalled Afghan peace talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in that country.
At the Afghan capital, Khalilzad will meet with officials and Taliban leaders, said the US State Department.
Khalilzad's later visit to the Qatari capital will see him attend talks with the Taliban.
He will discuss means to kickstart intra-Afghan negotiations and reach peace amid the country's ongoing conflict, with a focus on a decrease in violence and a subsequent ceasefire.
The mission comes after President Donald Trump, during a visit to Afghanistan last week, gave the green light for peace talks with the Taliban to recommence three months after a US withdrawal.
During his stop in Afghanistan, where he met his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani and US troops stationed there, Trump also announced he would be limiting the number of US soldiers in the country to just over 8,500. (end) rsr.sd