“The United States stands ready to assist in any way we can an Afghan-led reconciliation process to find a peaceful end to this conflict,” he said in a statement.
“I look forward to calling on President Karzai and discussing next steps.”
Grossman’s visit comes in the wake of an announcement by the Taliban that it planned to open a political office in Qatar ahead of talks with Washington on ending Afghanistan’s 10-year war. A US official said that if Karzai was agreeable, the talks could open within weeks. Speaking at the opening of a new session of parliament shortly after Grossman’s arrival, Karzai reiterated that his government accepted the plan for a Qatar office “for the purpose of peace”.
He noted that his government had also recently met a delegation from the second biggest insurgent group, Hizb-e-Islami, “in brotherhood and good atmosphere” and emphasised that peace negotiations would continue.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent Grossman to Kabul to discuss the Qatar development with Karzai, who was reportedly concerned that he would be sidelined by talks in the Gulf state.
Washington has consistently said that any talks with the Taliban to end the war could only take place with the agreement of the Afghan government, which eventually should lead the process.
No comments:
Post a Comment