Ceasefire critical for peace, Ghani reiterates at Davos

Monitoring Desk

DAVOS: President Ashraf Ghani, during his two-day visit to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum 2020, met with world leaders including US President Trump, German Chancellor Merkel, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, and business leaders to harness economic and political support for Afghanistan, according to presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

Sediqqi, in a series of tweets, said that Ghani, in his last meeting, met German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and discussed peace and security.

Ghani said a strong consensus on how to deal with the threat of terrorism in the medium and long-term exists among our key allies.

“Ceasefire is a critical issue for a lasting peace and to get the other side to agree to a settlement. Taliban must commit to the principles of elections,” Ghani said, quoted in a tweet by Sediqqi.

The Presidential Palace said in a statement that the German defense minister “supported the Afghan government’s stance on peace.”

“We will continue to work with our NATO partners to support Afghanistan,” the German defense minister said, as quoted by Sediqqi. “Our forces have built strong bonds with their Afghan fellows and are equally committed to fight terrorism and keep peace under NATO mission,” the German minister added, according to Sediqqi’s tweet.

Ghani also met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and stressed an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

Merkel said that Germany’s economic, development and security partnership will remain intact, according to Seddiqi, who also quoted Merkel as saying that Germany is willing to host an intra-Afghan dialogue.(TOLOnews)