Karzai welcomes progress in Qatar talks, urges for ceasefire to end bloodshed

KABUL (Khaama Press): The former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has welcomed progress in recent talks between the United States and Taliban political leaders in Qatar.

The Office of the former President in a statement said the former President considers peace and security a top priority of the Afghan nation and emphasizes that a ceasefire should be declared to end bloodshed, parallel to negotiations for peace and reconciliation.

Karzai further added that a sustainable peace would only be achieved through intra-Afghan negotiations and agreements that should result to a united Afghanistan with national unity, sovereignty, independence, and development.

The U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Khalilzad had earlier said that significant progress has been made on vital issues during the 6-day talks with Taliban political leaders in Qatar.

“After six days in Doha, I’m headed to Afghanistan for consultations. Meetings here were more productive than they have been in the past. We made significant progress on vital issues,” Khalilzad said in a Twitter post.

However, he said a number of issues are still left to work out, emphasizing that he will build on the momentum and resume talks shortly.