U.S. envoy hopes for peace deal with Taliban in 2019

The U.S. special envoy toAfghanistan hopes to cement a peace deal with Taliban insurgentsby April 2019, local media reported on Sunday.

Zalmay Khalilzad, in Kabul to lead talks between the UnitedStates, the Taliban and the Afghan government, told reporters hehopes "a peace deal is reached before April 20 next year."

Afghanistan is planning to hold a presidential election onApril 20, 2019.

The Afghan-born U.S. diplomat said he remained "cautiouslyoptimistic" about the peace talks.

Khalilzad, chosen by U.S. President Donald Trump'sadministration to hold direct talks with the Taliban, met theleaders of the hardline Islamist group in Qatar last month tofind ways to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan.

On Sunday Khalilzad said the end state of the talks would be"peace and a successful Afghanistan, one that doesn'tpose anythreats to itself and to the international community."

The Taliban were not immediately available for comment.

The insurgents, fighting to expel foreign forces and defeatte Western-backed Afghan government, last month presenteddemands to Khalilzad that included a timeline for the withdrawalof U.S. troops and the release of senior Taliban from jails.