Working closely with Afghan parties for political settlement, ceasefire: US

The US is working closely with Afghan parties to encourage progress on a political settlement and a comprehensive ceasefire, the Biden Administration said

The United States is working closely with Afghan parties to encourage progress on a political settlement and a comprehensive ceasefire, the Biden Administration said on Tuesday, asserting that any durable outcome has to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, and it is not for the US to dictate the deals.

Special US Representative for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, is in Doha meeting with negotiating parties to encourage progress in the Afghan peace negotiations.

"We are working closely with Afghan parties to encourage progress on a political settlement and a comprehensive ceasefire. We're also working diplomatically to mobilise regional and international support for peace," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.

Khalilzad's ongoing trip to the region, he said, is really a continuation of American diplomacy.

"There is a broad and longstanding consensus that there is no military solution to this conflict, and the political solution that Khalilzad is there to support, it must, of course, be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. We know this will be a difficult road, but that's precisely why we're there, to support this Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process," he said.

"Any agreement, any outcome that is to be durable has to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. It's not for us to dictate the deals. It's not for us to preordain outcomes. It has to be an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process," Price said.