John Kirby
The United States on Tuesday welcomed ongoing talks between the Afghan government and Hezb-e-Islami group of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and said all relevant groups should be part of such a political dialogue to end the violence in Afghanistan.
At a regular briefing at the US State Department, spokesman John Kirby said the United States supports an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process for a negotiated resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan.
“All relevant groups, including Hezb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, should be a part of such a political dialogue so that Afghans can talk directly to other Afghans about the future of their country,” he said and added that the United States welcomes political negotiations among the Afghan government, the Afghan High Peace Council and representatives of HIG.
Meanwhile Pakistani officials say officials from Pakistan, United States, China and Afghanistan are scheduled to meet in Islamabad on Wednesday (May 18) to discuss prospects for the Afghan peace process, Pakistan believes political negotiation is still the best option to find a solution to the protracted problem, a Chinese news service reported.
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