US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and US commander of international forces in Afghanistan Scott Miller met Taliban leadership in Doha on Monday to discuss the implementation of their agreement, the group said.
“They talked about complete implementation of the Agreement as well as delay in the release of the prisoners,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter. “Violations of the Agreement and other issues and ways of their solutions were also discussed.”
He said that the meeting was hosted by Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdur Rahman al-Thani.
The meeting came three days after Miller met Taliban leadership to discuss the need to reduce violence in Afghanistan.
It came on the same day the Taliban released 20 Afghan government prisoners after the government freed more than 300.
The US State Department in a statement said the meeting was “to discuss current challenges in implementing the U.S -Taliban Agreement.”
A source told 1TV that Miller focused on the need to reduce violence and creating the conditions for intra-Afghan negotiations. He underscored that all sides should capitalize on the opportunity for peace.
Under the US-Taliban deal, up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and up to 1,000 prisoners held by the group were stipulated to be released by March 10 when intra-Afghan talks were scheduled to begin.
