ISLAMABAD, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan's peace and reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, will hold talks here on Tuesday with Pakistani officials to discuss ways of cooperation in reconciliation in Afghanistan.
A Pakistani official told Xinhua that the U.S. special representative will meet Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other senior officials at the ministry.
A U.S. embassy spokesman said Khalilzad will "explore how best to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan."
The U.S. envoy is visiting Pakistan as part of his 10-day visit to five countries, which is his first visit since his last month's appointment. He concluded his two-day visit to Afghanistan on Monday, where he held talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and several other Afghan leaders.
The U.S. State Department said last week that Khalilzad will be leading an interagency delegation to Afghanistan, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia from Oct. 4 to Oct. 14.
The trip reflects the U.S. administration's intent to support, facilitate and participate in a peace process in Afghanistan.
"Special Representative Khalilzad's mission is to coordinate and lead U.S. 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," a U.S. State Department statement said last week.
The United States is seeking help of the stakeholders to encourage the Taliban to sit with the Afghan government to find out political solution to the conflict, which has now entered in 18 years.
The United States and its NATO allies launched operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001.
Pakistan and all regional countries favor direct talks between the Taliban and the National Unity Government, however, the Taliban are unwilling to talk with Kabul and insist to talk with the U.S. on a time-frame for the withdrawal of foreign troops, which they consider is the basic cause of the war in Afghanistan.
