WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th July, 2020) The three day ceasefire in Afghanistan scheduled to start on Friday offers an opportunity for all parties to commit themselves to a comprehensive peace process, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Thursday.
"The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement by the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban of a ceasefire to enable the Afghan people to celebrate the Eid al-Adha holiday in peace," the statement said.
Guterres urged all parties concerned to seize the opportunity of embracing an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, the statement continued.
"Only a peace settlement can bring an end to the suffering in Afghanistan," the Secretary-General said.
Guterres reiterated the urgency of a lasting ceasefire for addressing the COVID-19 global pandemic and expressed the readiness of the United Nations to provide any assistance that the parties may require, the statement added.
