KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th June, 2020) Chairman of the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah said on Tuesday that he held talks with US charge d'affaires in the middle Eastern country Ross Wilson in Kabul in the format of a video conference, during which the US diplomat confirmed Washington's support for peace efforts in Afghanistan.
"I had a constructive discussion with HE Ross Wilson, the US Chargé d'Affaires @USAmbKabul. We covered the #AfghanPeaceProcess, reduction in violence, completing release of prisoners & start of the intra-Afghan talks. Mr Wilson assured me of the US continued support for peace," Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
Abdullah praised Washington's continued support for peace efforts in the country, noting that peace is a priority for Afghans and the Afghan government, and hoping that the Taliban will seize the opportunity.
On Monday, Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar convened an online trilateral meeting with Russian special presidential representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov and the US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad. During the talks, Russia and the United States welcomed the Afghan government's progress in releasing Taliban prisoners as a necessary step towards early start of the intra-Afghan negotiations and urged the Islamic movement to reciprocate by freeing the prisoners it is still holding.
In addition, last week, Khalilzad said that intra-Afghan talks are closer than ever, praising Kabul for freeing over 3,000 Taliban prisoners and the Taliban for releasing more than 500 government prisoners.
