US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad headed Tuesday on a trip
to Afghanistan and regional powers in a fresh bid to negotiate an end
to 17 years of war.
envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, pictured in 2016, will travel to Afghanistan,
China, India and Pakistan on the trip lasting through January 21
Khalilzad, who met Taliban representatives
last month in Abu Dhabi, will travel to Afghanistan as well as China,
India and Pakistan on the trip lasting through January 21, the State
Department said.
In
accordance with US policy, the State Department did not say if he would
again meet the Taliban but said he would talk to “Afghan government
officials and other interested parties.”
Quoting Khalilzad, the State Department said
that “the only solution to the conflict is for all parties to sit
together and reach an agreement on the political future of Afghanistan
with mutual respect and acceptance.”
His trip comes after President Donald Trump
signaled he would bring home half of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan
as he grows increasingly impatient over America’s longest-ever war.
But the Afghan-born Khalilzad, who served in
top diplomatic posts under former president George W. Bush, last month
voiced doubts about the Taliban’s sincerity after the militants refused
to meet with negotiators from President Ashraf Ghani’s internationally
recognized government.
Khalilzad’s talks with the Taliban last month
involved Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the three
countries that recognized the extremist regime in Kabul before the
US-led coalition toppled it following the September 11, 2001 attacks.
India, by contrast, is a strong backer of the
Kabul government and foe of the Taliban, whose former regime sheltered
vehemently anti-Indian militants.
China has also been seeking a larger role in
the region, inviting Taliban leaders to talks as it pursues its “Belt
and Road” policy of expanding trade across Asia and separately clamps
down on its Uighur Muslim minority at home.