US Envoy Discusses Turkey Peace Huddle With Afghan Rivals

ISLAMABAD - The United States said Monday its special envoy to Afghanistan has completed a “productive” four-day visit to the war-torn nation, where he discussed preparations for the upcoming Afghan peace conference hosted by Turkey.

A U.S. Embassy statement in Kabul said Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad met with Afghan government and political leaders, as well as civil society activists, among others, during his trip. Khalilzad visited the Afghan capital after holding talks with Taliban leaders in Doha, Qatar, where the insurgent group maintains its political office. Proposed Istanbul conference   The U.S.-proposed multinational conference is tentatively set for later this month in the Turkish city of Istanbul, though no formal date has been announced.   The conference is being arranged to facilitate an end to months of deadlock in peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.   But prospects of an enduring power-sharing deal between the two adversaries to end the 20-year-old war in Afghanistan are slim.   “Ambassador Khalilzad underscored why it was important both sides accelerate the peace process,” the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said Monday.