US Special Representative Departs for Doha to Help Start Afghan Talks - State Department

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2020) US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad has left for Qatar's capital of Doha to facilitate the beginning of the intra-Afghan talks, the State Department said on Saturday.

The Taliban delegation is said to have arrived in the city earlier in the day. According to the spokesman for the movement's political office, the starting date will become known later in the day.

"U.S.

Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad departed for Doha, Qatar on September 4. He will be traveling in the region to advance ongoing U.S. efforts to promote the immediate start of intra-Afghan negotiations (IAN)," the department said in a statement.

Earlier in the week, the Taliban and the Kabul government have completed the prisoner exchange, which was a mandatory condition to launch the intra-Afghan talks, now set to begin in Doha.