DOHA, Qatar (AP) - The Latest on peace talks in Qatar between the Taliban and the U.S. (all times local):
8:20 p.m.
The longest round of Afghanistan peace talks yet between the U.S. and the Taliban have ended in Qatar, with both sides saying progress has been made.
U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted Tuesday night that “conditions for #peace have improved.”
He added: “It’s clear all sides want to end the war. Despite ups and downs, we kept things on track and made real strides.”
Khalilzad said the two sides made two “draft agreements” made on troop withdrawal and “counterterrorism assurances.” He said he’d travel to Washington and consult with others.
The militant group said: “For now, both sides will deliberate over the achieved progress, share it with their respective leaderships and prepare for the upcoming meeting, the date of which shall be set by both negotiation teams.”
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Pakistan’s foreign minister says “progress has been made” at ongoing peace talks in Qatar between the Taliban and the U.S. that have stretched over two weeks.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke on Tuesday at a news conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Islamabad.
Qureshi didn’t elaborate, though he added: “Pakistan has encouraged all factions within Afghanistan to sit together and have a meaningful intra-Afghan dialogue.”
The talks between U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives have gone on days longer than initially expected in Doha, the Qatari capital.
The U.S. had asked Pakistan to assist in its efforts to find a negotiated peace with the Taliban to end the longest war in American history.
The Taliban refuse to negotiate with Kabul, which isn’t taking part in the Qatar talks.
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