US envoy to discuss Afghanistan with Russia, China

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad will host his counterparts of Russia, China and the European Union to discuss the Afghan peace process.

A State Department statement on Wednesday said that the US envoy will meet Russian Presidential Special Representative Zamir Kabulov, Chinese Special Envoy Deng Xijun and EU Special Envoy Roland Kobia at the Department of State, Xinhua news agency reported

The statement added that their discussion topics "include international support for the Afghan peace process, the role each party can play in bringing an end to the war and the progress to date in peace talks".

Khalilzad said on March 13 that the peace talks between the US and Afghan Taliban have made progress after tough negotiations in Qatar and conditions for achieving peaceful settlement have improved.

However, Afghanistan's National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said later in Washington that "Ambassador Khalilzad ... doesn't know how to negotiate or in fact there may be other reasons behind what he is doing."

He has reportedly refused to apologize for his remarks after the US State Department expressed dissatisfaction

--IANS

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