WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd March, 2020) US President Donald Trump and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in a phone conversation agreed to maintain contacts in the wake of the peace deal signed between Washington and Taliban, the White House said in a statement on Monday.
The United States signed a peace agreement with the Taliban on Saturday, paving the way for intra-Afghan talks. The negotiations are expected to begin on March 10. Ghani and the Taliban however expressed resistance to a major prisoner swap stipulated in the deal.
"They further agreed to stay in touch as the peace process moves into the next phase, which involves negotiations among Afghans for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and roadmap for the political future of the country," the White House said about the call that took place on Sunday.
Both leaders also agreed that "that Saturday's announcement of the United States-Afghanistan Joint Declaration and the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan were important milestones for the Afghan peace process," it added.
However, less than two days after the pact was struck the Taliban official announced the end of a brief ceasefire as a deadly bomb blast near a soccer field.
The US-Taliban pact for bringing peace to Afghanistan, which comes after 19 years of conflict, sets a 14-month deadline for US and allied troops to leave the country. Afghan rivals are expected to agree on a permanent ceasefire and create an Islamic government that will take over after the settlement process ends.
