Gen.Milley stresses immediate reduction in violence

KABUL (Pajhwok): Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley has met Taliban representatives in Doha as part of the military channel established in the US-Taliban agreement.

The meeting, in which a reduction in violence in Afghanistan was underline, was part of the military channel established in the US-Taliban agreement.

Joint Staff spokesperson Sarah Flaherty said in a statement the meeting was coordinated with the Department of State and the Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation (SRAR).

Milley discussed the need for an immediate reduction of violence and stepped-up progress towards a negotiated political solution contributing to regional stability and safeguards US national interests.

Gen. Milley met for about two hours with the Taliban negotiators on Tuesday before arriving in Kabul to discuss the peace process with President Ghani.

“The most important part of the discussions I had with Taliban and the Afghan government was the need for an immediate reduction in violence,” Milley was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. “Everything else hinges on that.”

It was Milley’s second unannounced meeting with the Taliban’s negotiating team. His first meeting in June, also held in Doha, had not been reported.

The general said: “My assessment is, it puts the peace process at risk — the higher the violence, the higher the risk.”

In Kabul, Gen. Milley met President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday evening, the Presidential Palace said.

“Both sides expressed their concerns over the escalation of violence in Afghanistan and discussed the Afghan peace process.”

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