Ghani, Khalilzad discuss consultative loya jirga on peace

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: President Ashraf Ghani and US special envoy for peace Zalmay Khalilzad discussed a proposed consultative loya jirga and ongoing efforts at bringing peace and stability to the war-torn Afghanistan, a statement said on Friday.

The two leaders met late Thursday on the sidelines of an international security conference in Munich, Germany, the statement from the Presidential Palace in Kabul said. Ghani and Khalilzad conferred on the consultative loya jirga and recent developments with regard to the Afghanistan peace process.

Khalilzad was quoted as saying that the United States was playing the role of a facilitator to advance intra-Afghan talks to be led and owned by the government of Afghanistan.

The US envoy also tweeted that he and President GHani discussed next steps on consultative Loya Jirga and the urgent necessity of an intra-Afghan dialogue, as well as key regional developments. “We are united in our pursuit of peace,” said Khalilzad, who is due to meet Taliban negotiators on Monday in Pakistan ahead of the scheduled talks in Qatar on Feb 25.

Khalilzad resumed his Afghanistan peace diplomacy on Feb. 10 to visit Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. (Pajhwok)