US special envoy arrives in New Delhi to 'build international consensus' on Afghan peace process

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad reached India on Tuesday to hold talks with the government in an effort to "build international consensus" on the Afghan peace process.

Khalilzad took to twitter to apprise about his pre-scheduled trip.

"I will travel to #Delhi later today for pre-scheduled meetings to further build international consensus in support of the #AfghanPeaceProcess," tweeted Khalilzad on Monday.

There is no official comment from the India government on Khalilzad meeting.

Khalilzad trip to India follows the eight-round of talks between the Taliban and the US representatives. Khalilzad said that "excellent progress" were made during the talks.

"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

The talks were centred around US promise to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, in exchange for the guarantee by the former that the Afghan soil, particularly the areas under the Taliban's control, would not become a platform for transnational terrorism.

In addition, efforts are underway to organise a direct meeting between the US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar, Xinhua news agency quoted Taliban sources as saying.

The Taliban, have so far consistently refused to hold direct talks with President Ashraf Ghani's government, denouncing it as a puppet administration. Understandably, once the agreement between the US and the Taliban is inked, it will require the latter to immediately enter into negotiations with Afghan stakeholders.