US and Taliban negotiators have agreed on a draft framework for a peace deal seeking to put an end to the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan, Washington’s top negotiator has said.
US negotiators held six days of talks with the Taliban in Qatar last week.
The Afghan president has made a new call for direct talks with the Islamist group, but they have so far refused, dismissing the government as “puppets”.
The group ruled the country from 1996-2001 and remain a top insurgent force.
Their rule ended when the US invaded Afghanistan after al-Qaeda – which had used the country as a base – carried out the 9/11 attacks in the US.
Analysts say it could be years before a substantive peace deal is reached.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, was in Kabul to brief the Afghan government about the talks.
