KABUL, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The government-backed Afghan High Peace Council on Wednesday finalized a draft peace agreement with Hizb-e-Islami, a militant group led by warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, paving the way for reaching a peace deal with the armed outfit, an official statement said.
"The High Peace Council members officially handed over a draft peace agreement to the visiting delegation of Hizb-e-Islami or Islamic Party in Kabul on Wednesday afternoon," Mohammad Khan, deputy to Afghan chief executive, was quoted in the statement as saying.
The radical faction of Hizb-e-Islami, designated by the United States in a terrorist list, has been fighting the government and U.S.-led foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan over the past 15 years.
Welcoming the step taken by Hizb-e-Islami, Khan said that he was optimistic at reaching a result-oriented deal with the Hizb-e-Islami in near future.
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