KABUL (SW) – During his latest trip of shuttle diplomacy, top US peace broker Zalmay Khalilzad met Afghan president Ashraf Ghani in Kabul late on Wednesday.
According to the presidential palace statement, the meeting took place in the presence of former president Hamid Karzai, vice president Amrullah Saleh, Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the Supreme Council of National Reconciliation and a number of other officials.
The president's conversation with the envoy focused on extending the ceasefire, reducing violence, starting direct talks between the government and the Taliban, and exchanging prisoners, the statement added.
The Supreme Council of National Reconciliation also issued a statement saying that the two sides – Abdullah and the envoy – had discussed the finalization of the prisoner exchange process, the ceasefire and the start of direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
It added that the two sides welcomed the announcement of a three-day ceasefire by the Afghan government and the Taliban and expressed hope that the violence would be reduced before talks could begin.
The Afghan government and the Taliban have declared a ceasefire on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.
ENDS
