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KABUL: US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad held productive talks with President Ashraf Ghani and other Afghan leaders, where he underscored the imperative of reducing violence across Afghanistan, before to leave Kabul.
Ambassador Khalilzad departed Kabul Sunday evening following productive talks with President Ghani on accelerating a settlement process, reducing violence across Afghanistan, and supporting Afghan security forces if violence continues, US embassy in Afghanistan said in a statement.
“Had important meeting with President Ashraf Ghani. We have momentum now with Afghans working together across party and society. Men and women, young and not-so-young, all will join in intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha and eventual negotiations. Look forward to meeting representatives soon,” Khalilzad tweeted.
“He also discussed these topics with former President Karzai, leaders of the High Peace Council, and other prominent Afghans. Ambassador Khalilzad was pleased to see the Afghans with whom he met, inside and outside government, coming together to put peace first,” the statement added.
According to statement, he discussed with President Ghani and other leaders how to ensure the intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha next week, in which representatives of the Afghan government and wider society will participate, can best advance our shared goal of accelerating a settlement process.
Ambassador Khalilzad underscored the imperative of reducing violence across Afghanistan in the coming weeks and explored ways to build broader regional support for the current effort to realize the Afghan people’s yearning for peace, the statement added.
He also met with People’s Peace Movement. “I was moved by their stories and the resilience they’ve shown on their long journey, walking 1000 miles in protest for peace. They powerfully recounted stories of the unbelievable suffering Afghans have endured and the yearning for peace they all share,” he said in a tweet message.
