After the longest rounds of negotiations in Doha .. America and the Taliban are promising an agreement soon

The US and Taliban delegations participating in the negotiations in the Qatari capital of Doha have confirmed progress in the discussions on the mechanism for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the non-use of Afghan territory against others, and expressed their optimism that a final agreement could be reached.

After the end of the fifth round of negotiations between the two sides Tuesday in Doha, said the Taliban - in a statement - "The negotiations have seen significant progress in the mechanism of withdrawal of US forces and the time period that requires withdrawal from the country."

The statement denied discussion of the ceasefire and the start of talks with the Afghan government, adding that the sixth round of negotiations will be held by consensus between the parties.

Meanwhile, US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said the United States and the Taliban had made "real progress" during a new "marathon" of peace talks in Doha.

"The conditions for achieving peace have improved, and we will meet again soon," he said on Twitter. Noting that "reaching a preliminary agreement needs to be finalized on the safeguards against terrorism and the withdrawal of troops."

"The withdrawal of foreign forces and ensuring that no use of Afghanistan (attacking) any other country were the focus of the only debate," Reuters quoted knowledgeable Afghan sources as saying.

Presence
The United States also sought during the round of talks - the longest of its kind - and continued for 16 days - to get assurances that the Taliban will not use Afghanistan to launch attacks.

The negotiations were held in the Qatari capital of Doha, the official of the Taliban political bureau Mullah Abdul Ghani Bardar, and a US negotiating team headed by Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

Khalilzad is now expected to return to Washington to brief US officials on the outcome of the talks, the sources said.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi noted the progress made in the ongoing peace talks in Qatar between the Taliban and the United States.

"Pakistan has encouraged all parties inside Afghanistan to sit together and have a meaningful dialogue among Afghans," Qureshi told a news conference with his German counterpart Haikou Mas in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

The United States has asked Pakistan to make efforts to find peace with the Taliban, aimed at ending the 18-year-old war, and the Taliban insist on the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan as a prerequisite for reaching peace with the Afghan government.

About 14,000 US troops are based in Afghanistan as part of a US-led NATO mission to train, provide and advise Afghan forces. US forces also carry out anti-terrorism operations.