The US Special Representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad announced in a tweet that he welcomes the new team member Punit Talwar as a Counselor. Punit has extensive knowledge of the region and experience with negotiations and the Peace Process. He played a senior role in the State Department, National Security Council, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Khalilzad continued to mention that he will be an asset in the Afghan Peace Process.
Before joining to Khalilzad Special Representative for Afghanistan, Punit Talwar was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs from April 9, 2014, until November 2015. He left office in 2015 and was eventually replaced by R. Clarke Cooper in 2019. One of his key roles as the Assistant Secretary was the maintenance of the State Department’s global security relationships. Punit also managed several critical components of U.S. foreign policy. He also managed the provision of international security assistance and the negotiation of international security agreements. Moreover, Punit also looked over the implementation of the President’s Export Control Reform Initiative.
Punit Talwar and the US Government
Mr. Talwar has also served in the Department of Defence as the State Department’s principal liaison. From 2009 to 2014, Punit was the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Iraq, Iran, and the Gulf States at the White House National Security Council.
From 1995 to 1999 and 2001 to 2008, Punit was the Chief Middle East Advisor to Vice President Biden on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He also worked in the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff from 1999 to 2001. Alongside this, he was a foreign policy advisor in the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, with the peace process Khalilzad wrapped up the regional trip last week. His trip was to Tashkent, Kabul, Doha, and Dushanbe. Khalilzad made a stop at Berlin as well. This trip was based on the regional consensus on the Afghan Peace Process.
