DOHA: The US and the Taliban have made “excellent progress” in the latest round of talks in Doha to craft a peace deal, Washington’s Afghanistan envoy said on Monday.

The foes have been meeting in Qatar since Saturday for an eighth round of talks to thrash out a historic accord that would slash the US military presence in Afghanistan.

“Building on excellent progress in Kabul last week, I’ve spent the last few days in Doha, focused on the remaining issues in completing a potential deal with the Taliban,” tweeted US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

The conclusion of a deal “would allow for a conditions-based troop withdrawal,” he wrote adding that “we have made excellent progress.”

Khalilzad said that he was flying to New Delhi “for pre-scheduled meetings to further build international consensus in support of the Afghan Peace Process”.—AFP