US envoy in Kabul for talks with Karzai on peace

KABUL: US envoy Marc Grossman arrived in Kabul Saturday for talks with President Hamid Karzai on preliminary peace negotiations with Taliban insurgents.

"The United States stands ready to assist in any way we can an Afghan-led reconciliation process to find a peaceful end to this conflict," he said in a statement.

"I look forward to calling on President Karzai and discussing next steps."

Grossman's visit comes in the wake of an announcement by the Taliban that it planned to open a political office in Qatar ahead of talks with Washington on ending Afghanistan's 10-year war.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton despatched Grossman to Kabul to discuss the development with Karzai, who was reportedly concerned that he would be sidelined in the Qatar talks.

Washington has consistently said that any talks with the Taliban to end the war could only take place with the agreement of the Afghan government, which eventually should lead the process.

"I have made it clear to President Karzai that we will work with him, under his leadership," Clinton said.

A US official said that if Karzai was agreeable, the talks could open within weeks.

Grossman's visit comes a day after French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he was considering an early exit from Afghanistan after an Afghan soldier shot dead four unarmed French troops during a sports session inside a base.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2012