Draft framework for peace agreed

US and Taliban negotiators have agreed on a draft framework for a peace deal seeking to put an end to the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan, Washington's top negotiator said.

US negotiators held six days of talks with the Taliban in Qatar last week.

Both the Taliban and the US touted "progress" over the weekend, and the New York Times cited Washington's special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad yesterday as saying they have formed "a draft of a framework", though he warned details need to be fleshed out and major sticking points remain.

The points of contention include a ceasefire, a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops, and the Taliban's ongoing refusal to speak to Kabul.

Afghan authorities have previously complained of being excluded from the talks, and warned that any deal between the US and the Taliban would require Kabul's endorsement.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said yesterday the Taliban should "enter serious talks" with his government, reported AFP.

The Taliban have long refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, branding them "puppets".

"I call on the Taliban to... show their Afghan will, and accept Afghans' demand for peace, and enter serious talks with the Afghan government," Ghani said in a nationally televised address from the presidential palace in Kabul.

US President Donald Trump's clear eagerness to end America's longest war has also weighed heavy on the discussions, and Ghani warned against rushing into a deal, citing violence in the aftermath of the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.