Washington/Kabul, Jan 1 (.) The US State Department has said that Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington’s former envoy to Kabul, does not represent the official stance of the US on Afghanistan, following his recent meeting with Taliban government’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul.
Speaking to Afghan International on Wednesday, the State Dept said Khalilzad wasn’t an employee of the US government, and as such, all of his recent political activities are carried out on personal capacity.
The Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that Khalilzad had arrived in Kabul and met Muttaqi, after which the Afghan Taliban FM said that its engagement with Washington had effectively entered into a new phase, post US withdrawal in 2021.
The Taliban’s decision to receive Khalilzad at a foreign ministerial level, reportedly suggests that it views him as a potential intermediary between Kabul and Washington, with his considerable experience and knowledge about the war-ravaged nation, potentially helping in improving bilateral ties, though Washington has dismissed all such assumptions as pure speculation.
Khalilzad has previously travelled to Afghanistan with US officials to help secure the release of American prisoners held by the Taliban.
According to the Taliban, Muttaqi told Khalilzad that opportunities exist in several areas to expand relations between the two sides and that sustained dialogue could help advance those efforts.
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