US willing to hold talks with Taliban
Taliban
'The United States is ready to participate in the discussion, but we cannot serve as a substitute for the Afghan government and the Afghan people. A political settlement must be negotiated through a process that is Afghan-lead and Afghan-owned' Deputy Assistant to US President said
Days after Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani announced a temporary ceasefire with Taliban on June 7, the United States has now expressed its willingness to initiate talks with the outfit.
Deputy Assistant to US President Donald Trump and Senior Director for Central Asia at the National Security Council, Lisa Curtis, said US cannot talk on behalf of Kabul but is willing to be a part of talks.
"The United States is ready to participate in the discussion, but we cannot serve as a substitute for the Afghan government and the Afghan people. A political settlement must be negotiated through a process that is Afghan-lead and Afghan-owned, Curtis said.
Referring to the haven provided to the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network in Pakistan, she also added that they have asked Pakistan to cooperate and assist in developing peace in the region.
The Taliban and the Haqqani network have sought refuge in Pakistan for over 16 years.
Following the ceasefire announcement by the Afghan government, theAfghanTaliban has also announced a three-day ceasefire over the Eid holiday at the end of this week, their first such offer.
The militants said foreign forces would be excluded from the ceasefire and that operations against them would continue.