US envoy for Afghan peace met with Afghan Ambassador in US

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on Tuesday met with Roya Rahmani, the Afghan Ambassador to United States.

“Had my first meeting w/ #Afghanistan’s Ambassador to US @RoyaRahmani. We had a substantive discussion & talked next steps in the #AfghanPeaceProcess,” Ambassador Khalilzad said in a Twitter post following his meeting with Ambassador Rahmani.

He also added “It is neither an easy nor straight path we are walking. To stay on track it’s of utmost importance we continue to walk it together.”

The meeting between Ambassador Khalilzad and Ambassador Rahmani took place days after the remarks of Afghan National Security Adviser regarding peace process sparked furor among US officials.

National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib had earlier accused the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad of ‘delegitimizing’ the Kabul government by excluding it from peace negotiations with Taliban.

Speaking to a news conference in Washington on 14th of March, Mohib said Khalilzad is acting like a ‘viceroy’ and has “his own personal history — he has ambitions in Afghanistan. He was wanting to run for president twice.”

In reaction to Mohib’s remarks, the State Department officials had said that the attack on Ambassador Khalilzad is considered as an attack on State Secretary and the Department of State.

The officials further added that Under Secretary for Political Affair David Hale summoned Hamdullah Mohib on 14th March and “underscored the longstanding US assistance and support to Afghanistan, and expressed our commitment to the Afghan government’s stability and full participation in the peace process.” (Khaama Press)