In what is his first engagement to the region under the new Biden administration, US special envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Zalmay Khalilzad reached the Afghan capital Kabul, on Monday to discuss the Afghan peace process, and the review of the 2020 Doha deal with Afghan leaders. 

Khalilzad held talks with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, on the ongoing review of the US-Taliban deal and the peace talks happening in Doha, Qatar, between the Afghan government and the Taliban. 

Significantly, the trip marked a change, at least in its approach to the region. Unlike earlier visits during the Trump administration, when the first landing destination of Khalilzad used to be either Islamabad or Doha, this time he chose Kabul.

“They discussed peace talks, the review of the Doha peace agreement by the new US administration, the acceleration of the peace process,” a statement from the office of Abdullah Abdullah was quoted by TOLOnews. 

During their discussions, they have also discussed the ongoing peace talks in Doha, reduction of violence, and ways to advance the peace process, the statement added. The visit comes when the Biden administration is about to complete its review of the 2020 Doha deal. 

The US special envoy will also visit capitals of regional countries that have stakes in Afghanistan, a release from the US state department said. 

The first dilemma for the ongoing review of the 2020 deal is to decide whether to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan or not. Under the Doha deal, all foreign forces are required to withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021. 

With little progress in the intra-Afghan talks and expected Taliban attacks in this fighting season risk the collapse of the Afghan government if the foreign forces make an exit this May. 

Earlier on Sunday, Sirajuddin Haqqani, a senior Taliban leader and the head of the infamous Haqqani network, said if foreign forces stay beyond May, the country would see a war with an intensity never seen before. He claimed that the Taliban now has its own missiles, referring to drones that the group has recently started using in their attacks.