KABUL (SW) – The presidency has rejected reports about President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani declining to meet U.S. Envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad here on Thursday.
The Wall Street Journal reported that President Ghani declined Wednesday to meet with US special envoy for peace Zalmay Khalilzad who arrived in Kabul after signing a deal with the Taliban. It said Khalillzad was expected to instead meet Ghani’s elected vice president, Amrullah Saleh.
According to the report, Ghani’s difficulties with US have been increasing in recent months.
However, Sediq Seddiqi, spokesman for the President said these reports are ‘false’.
“US is committed to facilitating prisoner exchange, agreed in both US-Taliban Agreement & US-Afghanistan Joint Declaration. We will support each side to release significant numbers,” Khalilzad said on Twitter earlier in the day.
“We must act on all fronts to clear the road of obstacles that slow our progress toward intra-Afghan negotiations,” Khalilzad said, “I once again call on all Afghans to rise to the occasion, put country first and not to lose this historic opportunity.”
ENDS
