The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah over the phone on Tuesday.

Leaders of the National Unity Government (NUG) said that during the phone call, Pompeo had expressed optimism over progress in US-Taliban talks in Doha and added that the new developments would pave the ground for reduction of violence, declaration of a ceasefire, bilateral agreement, intra-Afghan talks and sustainable peace.

Afghan president told the US secretary of state that Afghanistan’s main objective was to halt bloodshed and that the people of Afghanistan wanted permanent peace in their country. Ghani also promised that the Afghan government had strong intention to manage the next steps in the peace process, the presidential palace said in a statement.

Abdullah on his part has said that peace is priority of the people of Afghanistan and that he supports progresses made in the field of violence reduction during the talks in Qatar.

Elsewhere, New York Times reported that peace agreement between the US and the Taliban would be signed within a week.

Arezo News – Humayun Salimi