KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar has said work is underway to plan a trip to the US by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
He was talking to journalists on the sidelines of two-day conference in Herat with officials from Turkmenistan over energy and trade projects.
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The foreign minister called the news that President Ghani’s visit was at the request of the United States unfounded and stressed that the visit would be at the request of both sides. According to him, both sides have shown interest in making this trip.
Minister Atmar emphasized that the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs was currently working with the US State Department on President Ghani’s visit, and if progress is made in this regard, it will be made public through the media.
Earlier, some media outlets reported that President Ghani’s request for a solo trip to Washington had not been accepted. According to reports, the request by President Ghani to visit the United States has been submitted to the Congress and the White House by the Afghan Embassy in Afghanistan.
In this official request, according to the Hasth-e-Subh daily, President Ghani had requested from the Congress and the White House that he intends to visit the US alone and meet with the US officials. It is reported that the purpose of his visit is to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, issues such as peace and the withdrawal of foreign troops with the US officials.
In another part of his speech, the Atmar defended the recent remarks of Hamdullah Mohib, National Security Adviser. “The National Security Adviser on behalf of the Afghan government emphasized on stopping the bloodshed and progressing the peace process”, he said.
Atmar emphasized that the people and government of Afghanistan understand that without Pakistan’s cooperation, it will not be possible to stop the bloodshed and move forward in peace. He said that Afghanistan’s cooperation with Pakistan is necessary and needs to be maintained.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that he will never allow the recent tensions between Pakistan and Hamdullah Mohib to hinder the cooperation of the two governments.
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