US special envoy to Afghanistan to visit India on Tuesday

US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad will visit New Delhi on Tuesday -- in the wake of the peace talks that have opened between the Taliban and the Afghan forces in Doha.

During his one day visit, he is expected to meet External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and will brief him about the ongoing Afghan peace process.

The visit shows how India is being kept in loop regarding the Afghan peace process by Washington. Zalmay reaches India from Pakistan where he met Pakistani Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and Pakistani special envoy on Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq.

Saturday saw the ceremony in Doha marking the beginning of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Jaishankar who joined the event virtually extended India's support for ceasefire and reiterating that Afghan peace process should be "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled".

He also stated that the process should "ensure interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable" and "effectively address violence across the country".

India has emerged as an important development partner of Afghanistan and has been building mega infrastructure projects in the country including the India Afghanistan friendship project and the Afghan parliament.