US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said that the Biden administration supports enduring peace, which is in favour of Afghans and results in a permanent ceasefire, the Afghan Presidential Palace said.
Tolo News reported that President Ashraf Ghani spoke with US defense secretary and discussed bilateral relations and recent developments in the peace process.
President Ghani and the US defense secretary expressed their concerns over the increase in violence and targeted killings.
Later, Secretary Austin said in a tweet: “We discussed our mutual commitment to a strong US-Afghan partnership and the importance of making urgent progress on the Afghan peace process. Looking forward to a productive partnership.”
Austin continued he spoke with President Ghani “to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to an enduring US-Afghan partnership, emphasising the strength of the defense relationship.”
Meanwhile, the Defense Department said in a statement that they also discussed the shared sacrifices of US and Afghanistan forces and collective gains made over the last 19 years.
According to the statement, the Afghan peace process and the imperative for a negotiated settlement to end the war were also discussed by the two sides.
“Both sides emphasized the importance of seizing this opportunity for peace,” the statement said.
