The United States and the Taliban have opened fresh negotiations in Doha. The talks mark the seventh round of negotiations aimed at ending Afghanistan’s longest war.
The negotiations have, so far, centred on four issues – counter-terrorism, presence of foreign troop presence, an intra-Afghan dialogue and a permanent ceasefire.
US officials previously said, they are hoping for a deal before the upcoming Afghan presidential elections in September, which have already been delayed twice.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who paid an unannounced visit to Kabul on Tuesday, said he hoped for a peace deal with the Taliban before 1st September.
A potential deal would see the US agreeing to withdraw its troops after more than 17 years in Afghanistan, in return for the Taliban guaranteeing the country never again becomes a safe haven for violent extremist groups, as was the case with Al-Qaeda before the September 11, 2001 attacks.
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