"The timing of a peace settlement from our point of view is the sooner is better," Khalilzad told an audience at the US Institute of Peace in Washington. Elections in Afghanistan had originally been slated for April 20 but were postponed for three months as peace talks progressed. - 'Red line' -Khalilzad last week announced a "draft framework" for a peace deal, though he warned that major hurdles remain. - Moscow talks -Taliban leaders this week spent two days in talks in Moscow for an extraordinary summit that saw Afghan political figures from outside the government meeting with former sworn enemies. All parties agreed to support the Doha peace talks with US negotiators that Trump on Tuesday described as "constructive."

Source: Bangkok Post February 08, 2019 23:03 UTC