KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanif Atmar on Tuesday said reduction in violence had been promised with the start of intra-Afghan talks and the Afghans were awaiting the promise fulfillment.
Hamif Atar, who is accompanying President Ashraf Ghani in Qatar, was talking to Afghan media persons in Doha about Ghani’s official visit to Kuwait and Qatar.
Atmar said there had been a commitment that violence would be reduced once inter-Afghan talks began and that a mechanism would be set up to monitor it.
But the violence surged in the country instead and the Afghan government wanted it reduce as soon as possible and establish a relevant mechanism in this regard.
He said the two issues had been promised earlier and the Afghan government and people were waiting for them to be implemented.
The acting foreign minister added that the Afghan government was pursuing three goals in the peace talks.
According to Atmar, the first goal was to agree on agenda for the talks, which should be agreed upon as soon as possible so that the main talks could be started.
He said a number of issues had been resolved in the talks, but differences remained on two issues that needed to be resolved.
He further said the Afghan government’s second goal was to reduce violence and pave the way for a comprehensive ceasefire.
He added the third goal was to reach a political settlement through negotiations to end the ongoing war in the country and stop the bloodshed.
According to Atmar, during his visit, President Ashraf Ghani urged the Qatari leaders to pay attention to these three goals.
About the president’s visit to Qatar, he said the talks were aimed at improving the peace process and developing relations between the two countries.
President Ghani instructed the Afghan delegation not to lose patience to difficulties and continue negotiations with national commitment.
pk/ma
