KABUL (SW) – President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani spoke by telephone with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and discussed bilateral ties and the peace process.
The presidency said in a press release that the phone call was made Friday evening and was focused on the expansion of relations between the two countries and the peace process in Afghanistan. ‘The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) assured of his country’s continued support for the Afghan peace process, the strengthening of regional diplomacy for ongoing peace efforts and the support of the Afghan security and defense forces’, said the statement.
During the telephone conversation, the two sides expressed concern about the escalation of violence and the next steps in the peace process. The two sides have stressed the need for a permanent ceasefire in Afghanistan, it added.
A statement issued by the British government said Premier Johnson reiterated the UK’s longstanding support for the Afghan government’s fight against the Taliban as part of the NATO coalition. “They agreed on the importance of making progress in peace talks to secure a sovereign, democratic and united Afghanistan, and to preserve the gains made by civil society and women and girls”, it added.
According to the statement, the Prime Minister and President Ghani also discussed global efforts to tackle the pandemic and the rollout of vaccines in Afghanistan and the UK.
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