US special envoy for Afghan reconciliation travels to Afghanistan, Pak, Saudi

Washington :The Trump administration’s point person for Afghan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad is making his first trip to the AfPak region and the key countries in the Middle East, the US State Department said.
Khalilzad, who was the highest-ranking Muslim in the George W Bush administration, will lead an interagency delegation to Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia from October 4-14.
“Khalilzad’s mission is to coordinate and lead US efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. He will do so in close coordination with the Afghan government and other stakeholders, exploring how best to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict,” the State Department said.
The trip is his first visit following his appointment as special representative and reflects the administration’s intent to support, facilitate, and participate in a peace process in Afghanistan.