The United States intends to review an agreement reached with the Taliban last year in order to determine if the militant group is meeting its commitments under the Afghan peace accord.
President Joe Biden's national-security adviser, Jake Sullivan, spoke with his Afghan counterpart, Hamdullah Mohib, the White House said in a January 22 statement.
Under a U.S.-Taliban deal reached last February, all foreign forces are to leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for security guarantees from the militant group, including severing ties with Al-Qaeda.
Afghan government and Taliban negotiators have made halting progress since direct talks began in Qatar in the autumn against the backdrop of rising violence and calls for a cease-fire.
Sullivan underscored that the new Biden administration “will support the peace process with a robust and regional diplomatic effort, which will aim to help the two sides achieve a durable and just political settlement and permanent cease-fire,” according to the statement.
The United States would also review the agreement reached under former President Donald Trump’s administration, “including to assess whether the Taliban was living up to its commitments to cut ties with terrorist groups, to reduce violence in Afghanistan, and to engage in meaningful negotiations with the Afghan government and other stakeholders.”
Sullivan and his Afghan counterpart also discussed “the United States’ support for protecting the extraordinary gains made by Afghan women, girls, and minority groups as part of the peace process.”
The United States is also committed to working with the Afghan government, NATO allies, and regional partners "to support a stable, sovereign, and secure future for Afghanistan."