U.S. envoy to hold talks with Taliban, Afghan officials

U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad headed for Doha and Kabul on Sunday for talks with Taliban representatives and senior Afghan officials, the U.S. State Department said.

Khalilzad will meet with Taliban representatives in Doha to discuss implementation of a U.S.-Taliban agreement and "press for steps necessary to commence intra-Afghan negotiations, including a significant reduction of violence," a statement said.

In Kabul, he will meet with senior government officials "to explore steps the Afghan government needs to take to make intra-Afghan negotiations begin as soon as possible," the statement said.