ISLAMABAD: The US State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs on Friday praised Prime Minister Imran Khan's decision to visit Kabul, saying it was a good sign for regional peace and stability.
"Pleased to see PM Khan visiting Kabul to underscore Pakistan’s commitment to peace & to further cooperation with Afghanistan on security, refugees, trade, and regional connectivity," the bureau said in a Twitter post, adding that "Afghan-Pakistani cooperation contributes to the entire region’s stability."
Earlier in the day, the prime minister said that peace in Afghanistan was going to benefit regional connectivity and lead to economic prosperity for Pakistanis and Afghans.
Khan went to Kabul on Thursday and met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and other administration officials at a time when the leadership of the war-torn country and the Taliban insurgents are trying to negotiate an intra-Afghan peace agreement.
The Pakistani leader said that his country wanted peace for Afghanistan which had witnessed tremendous conflict and suffering for nearly four decades.
"After the Afghans, we have the greatest stake in this peace as it will allow for connectivity & trade, bringing prosperity to both Afghans & Pakistanis," he said in a Twitter post on Friday. "Our people in the tribal areas, who have suffered the ravages of the war in Afghanistan, will esp benefit from peace & trade."
He also noted that his visit to Kabul was "another step towards conveying Pakistan's commitment to peace in Afghanistan."
"I have never believed in military solutions which is why I always believed that in Afghanistan peace will be achieved through political dialogue," he added.
According to an AFP report, the Afghan government and Taliban representatives have resolved key sticking points that had stalled peace talks for weeks, clearing the way for negotiations to move forward.
"Several members of the Afghan government's negotiating team recently returned to Kabul for final consultations," it said, "after which President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, who is heading the peace process for Kabul, are expected to announce a breakthrough."
"We are close to an announcement and initiation of formal talks," the report quoted an Afghan official.
The intra-Afghan negotiations started in Doha after the United States and Taliban signed a deal in February that was viewed as a precursor to the drawdown of American forces in the region.
However, the talks hit a snag almost as soon as they began since the negotiating parties disagreed on the agenda and basic framework for negotiations.
