Doha / Information Office / March 12

The United States of America and the Taliban held a round of peace talks between the 25th of February to the 12th of March 2019 in Qatar, in continuation of the last round of peace talks that took place between the 21st to the 26th of January 2019.

The talks focused on two main issues; the withdrawal of the U.S. and Coalition Forces from Afghanistan, and the Taliban's commitment to preventing and denying the use of Afghan soil in a manner that threatens the security of the United States of America, its allies, or any other country.

The two parties, assisted by Qatari mediators, agreed that a lasting peace agreement should be based on four main interlinked components that shall be executed pursuant to an agreed upon timeline and conditions.

The talks were hosted and mediated by the State of Qatar, represented by H.E. Dr. Mutlaq Bin Majid Al-Qahtani. The United States was represented by the Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad,  and on the other hand, the Taliban was represented by Mr. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Lead Taliban Negotiator.

Both parties thanked the State of Qatar for its extensive efforts and constructive support in mediating the longest round of negotiations, lasting a total of 16 consecutive days. The State of Qatar renewed its plea for the inclusion of all regional and international parties to streamline and consolidate these efforts and the efforts of Qatar’s strategic partners to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the State of Qatar invites the two parties to initiate the next round of negotiations in the foreseeable future.