WASHINGTON: US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad has claimed that the United States landmark agreement with the Taliban entered the “next phase” and he urged the militants to reduce violence to permit Afghan peace talks to begin.
The two sides signed a deal in February 2020 that saw US assurance to pull out all troops from Afghanistan by the middle of next year, in return for the insurgents promising to hold negotiations with the Afghan government to end the decades-old war.
On a social media website Twitter, US Special Representative on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, who negotiated the agreement for Washington, claimed that both sides had reached a “key milestone”.
“The US has worked hard to carry out 1st phase of its commitments under the agreement, including reducing troops & departing five bases,” he added.
As the deal entered its “next phase”, Washington’s approach will be based on certain conditions, Khalilzad warned. “We will press for completion of prisoner releases, reduction of violence […] & start of & progress in intra-Afghan negotiations,” he said.
We have reached Day 135, a key milestone in implementation of the U.S.-Taliban Agreement. The U.S. has worked hard to carry out the 1st phase of its commitments under the Agreement, including to reduce forces & depart five bases. NATO troops have come down in proportional numbers
— U.S. Special Representative Thomas West (@US4AfghanPeace) July 14, 2020
Talks between the Taliban and Kabul hinge on a nearly completed prisoner exchange agreed in the deal. Kabul pledges to free some 5,000 Taliban intimates in a swap that would see the insurgents release around 1,000 Afghan security force captives.
The government has so far released more than 4,000 Taliban prisoners, while the Taliban have freed more than 600 Afghan security personnel. Since the compact was signed, the Taliban have stepped up attacks across much of Afghanistan killing hundreds.
Khalilzad too condemned the violence, saying “large numbers” of Afghans continued to die without a reason while acknowledging that no American had been killed since the deal.
“Violence has been high, especially in recent days and weeks,” Khalilzad said, condemning a Taliban attack on Monday on a rural office of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency that killed 11 security personnel.
As we look to the next phase of implementation under the Agreement, our approach will remain conditions based. We will press for completion of prisoner releases, reduction of violence, complete delivery on CT commitments & start of & progress in intra-Afghan negotiations.
— U.S. Special Representative Thomas West (@US4AfghanPeace) July 14, 2020
“The Taliban’s attack […] contradicts their commitment to reducing violence until a permanent ceasefire is reached in intra-Afghan talks,” he added.
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