WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2020) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the progress of the Afghanistan peace process in a phone conversation with his Indian counterpart External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, State Department Spokesperson Cale Brown said on Thursday.
"Secretary of State Michael Pompeo spoke today with Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar to discuss ongoing bilateral and multilateral cooperation ...including efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, support the peace process in Afghanistan and address recent destabilizing actions in the region," Brown said in a statement.
On Monday, Pompeo and Taliban chief negotiator Mullah Baradar Akhund held a video conference to discuss intra-Afghan negotiations.
The United States signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February that stipulated a phased 14-month troop withdrawal period and a ceasefire between both sides, effectively ending the confrontation which began in 2001. The US-Taliban agreement also envisioned a mutual release of prisoners between the Kabul administration and the militant group, and the beginning of the intra-Afghan talks.
