Commenting on the UN Security Councils statement on peace talks, US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said it underscores international commitment to Afghanistans sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity.
He said: "This is a unique moment for Afghanistan. Not only are Afghan parties negotiating directly, but as indicated by the UNSC statement, there is broad international support for a negotiated political settlement and peace in Afghanistan. This unique opportunity must be seized."
"The UNSC statement supports the path the parties are currently on, which is to find a political settlement that accommodates all Afghans, one the region and international community can endorse in spirit and in action," Khalilzad said.
The UN Security Council welcomed the start of Afghan peace talks and reaffirmed the councils strong commitment to Afghanistan but called for a ceasefire that can lead to permanent peace.
In the statement issued by the UNSC, it said its members recognized that sustainable peace can be achieved only through a comprehensive and inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process that aims to bring about a permanent ceasefire to end the conflict.
This comes after the Afghan negotiating team and the Taliban embarked on peace talks in Doha last week.
Issued by the councils President Abdou Abarry, the statement noted that "members of the Security Council strongly encouraged parties to the negotiations to continue pursuing confidence-building measures, including reductions in violence, and to continue to engage in good faith."
"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the importance of the United Nations role in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and welcomed the efforts of all regional and international partners of Afghanistan in facilitating intra-Afghan negotiations and in helping the parties reach peace."
The negotiating teams continue to discuss the framework of the talks going forward but for the past week, little information on developments has been released.
High-profile officials, who have been involved in paving the way for talks to start, have however said in the past week that there are challenges ahead.
One of the key areas of discussion will be around the governance system of the country - with Afghanistan wanting to stay a Republic while the Taliban insist on it becoming an Emirate.
On Saturday, the Taliban stated in its weekly commentary that it has insisted from the outset that an "Islamic system" must be established and that this should be the "focal point of discussions".
The Afghan government however stands by its political system stating it is fully Islamic.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/20387
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