U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with a representative of the political office of the radical Taliban movement and chief negotiator of the movement Mullah Baradar Ahund in Doha.
The parties discussed compliance with the agreement, as well as the exchange of prisoners.
“Yesterday close to the evening, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, accompanied by his delegation, held a long meeting with the head of the political office of the Islamic Emirate, Mullah Baradar Ahund and his delegation. The meeting, held in Qatar’s capital Doha, mainly discussed the implementation of the U.S. agreement with the Taliban and the imminent release of prisoners”, – said Zabiullah Mujahid, the movement’s spokesman.
The U.S. Secretary of State, for his part, said the withdrawal of U.S. troops will continue in accordance with the established timeframe.
The U.S. and Afghan Taliban signed a peace agreement in Qatar on February 29. It provides for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the beginning of an inter-Afghan dialogue.
Thus, the parties agreed that the U.S. will reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan from 12,000 to 8.6 thousand within 135 days, and after that will continue the withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO forces within 14 months, if the Taliban abstain from violence.
The document envisages a “permanent and comprehensive truce”. Direct talks between the Taliban and the Government of Afghanistan will take place within the framework of inter-Afghan dialogue. After the start of inter-Afghan dialogue, the Taliban will engage with the UNSC to remove its members from the sanctions list. That could happen by the end of May 2020.