The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has arrived in Kabul and met with the Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Khalilzad has previously travelled to Afghanistan alongside US officials in efforts to secure the release of American detainees held by the Taliban.
In a statement, the Taliban Foreign Ministry said Muttaqi told Khalilzad that following the withdrawal of foreign forces and the end of the war, engagement between the Taliban and the United States has effectively entered a new phase.
Muttaqi added that there are opportunities across several sectors to expand relations between the two sides and that these could be pursued through sustained dialogue.
According to the statement, Khalilzad praised what he described as progress in security and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
It remains unclear whether Khalilzad travelled to Kabul on an official mission or in a personal capacity.
