US State Department on Saturday said that the country’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad departed to Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Norway, Pakistan, and Qatar to discuss peace issues.

In Doha and Kabul, Ambassador Khalilzad will press for resolution of the remaining issues ahead of intra-Afghan negotiations, specifically final prisoner exchanges and reduced violence.

According to the US State Department, In Islamabad, Khalilzad will seek Pakistani support in the effort to advance intra-Afghan negotiations.

In Oslo and Sofia, Ambassador Khalilzad will update NATO Allies on the Afghan peace process.

The parties are closer than ever to the start of Intra-Afghan Negotiations, the key next step to ending Afghanistan’s 40-year long war. Although significant progress has been made on prisoner exchanges, the issue requires additional effort to fully resolve, the US State Department further added.

Arezo News – Salimi