DAVOS - The United States on Thursday urged the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan to support a credible peace process with the Afghan Taliban.
US Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry made the case to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The White House said Biden and Kerry reaffirmed US support for improved ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan, offered condolences to both for recent terrorist attacks in their countries and called on them to stay committed to a negotiated end to the Afghan civil war.
Biden “reaffirmed US support for reconciliation and improved bilateral ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan and called them important pillars of regional stability (and) encouraged both leaders to remain committed to a credible peace process reinforced by tangible steps to reduce violence, eliminate militant safe havens, and promote bilateral cooperation,” the White House said in a statement.
The White House also condemned attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying they underscore the ongoing threat that militants pose to the region.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the victims of the attacks and to their families, and we stand with the people of the region against all forms of extremism and terrorism,” National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
The Davos meeting on the sidelines of the 46th World Economic Forum reviewed the progress made so far and pondered on the way forward.
An official statement issued at the end of the meeting said talks were held in a warm and cordial atmosphere, saying: “The participants reviewed the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan that is being pursued on the establishment of the quadrilateral mechanism that resulted from the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process.”
The leaders expressed satisfaction at the two meetings of the quadrilateral consultative groups held in Kabul and Islamabad. “They agreed to focus on the goal of ensuring peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan which was both in the interest of Afghanistan and the region,” the statement said.
Vice President Biden and President Ashraf Ghani condemned the Charsadda terror attack and conveyed their grief over the loss of precious lives.
Both the leaders appreciated the resolve of Pakistani nation in its war against terrorism and extremism.
The Davos meeting came less than a week after diplomats from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States met in Kabul and called on the Taliban to resume peace talks with the Afghan government.
In a joint statement, the four nations said Monday their talks “made progress on a roadmap toward initiating peace talks with Taliban groups.” The statement said they hope to bring the two sides together for talks “aimed at reduction of violence and establishing lasting peace in Afghanistan and the region.”
They called on all Taliban groups to enter into early peace talks and agreed to meet again in Islamabad on Feb 6.
The war shows no sign of abating, with the Taliban challenging Afghan forces on a number of fronts since the US and NATO formally concluded their combat mission at the end of last year.