Eighth round of US, Taliban peace talks starts in Doha today

The eighth round of peace talks between the Taliban and the United States are set to begin in Doha, Qatar on Saturday.

Officials deem this session of negotiations to be the most crucial phase of talks to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan as a peace agreement could be expected at the end of this round of talks.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said: “We are pursuing a peace agreement not a withdrawal agreement, a peace agreement that enables withdrawal.”

“Our presence in Afghanistan is conditions-based, and any withdrawal will be conditions-based,” the envoy said, adding that the Taliban are signaling they would like to conclude an agreement.

He asserted that “we are ready for a good agreement.”

The Taliban are signaling they would like to conclude an agreement. We are ready for a good agreement. #AfghanPeaceProcess

— U.S. Special Representative Thomas West (@US4AfghanPeace) August 2, 2019

Khalilzad, who has held a series of meetings with Taliban leadership since last year, reached Doha on Friday night.

Two days earlier, the US envoy had called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad. ”Peace and stability in Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s own national interest,” the PM told Khalilzad while underscoring the need for initiating an intra-Afghan dialogue to end the war in the country.

Prime Minister Khan also assured Khalilzad of Pakistan’s full cooperation for the restoration of long-lasting peace in war-torn Afghanistan.