WASHINGTON – “This is not the right time for talks with Taliban,” a top USadministration official said Thursday, noting the Kabul government wouldcontinue working towards creating conditions for peace talks.
Deputy Secretary of State John J Sullivan told reporters in Washington that“unfortunately, at this stage, everyone but the Taliban appears ready forpeace.”
Sullivan was fresh from his visit to Kabul this week wherein he met withPresident Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, and ForeignMinister Salahuddin Rabbani.
“During each of these meetings, Afghanistanlink>’s leadership made it clear to methat despite the recent tragic events, the Afghan government will continueto work to create the necessary conditions to bring the Taliban to thenegotiating table, and establish an environmentlink> for a sustained piece,” Sullivantold reporters.
“We applaud this conviction, as the path to peace and reconciliation mustbe an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process, as we have laid out in thepresident’s South Asian strategy,” he said.
He said Taliban attacks targeting innocent civilians demonstrate showedthey were not ready to enter into ‘good faith peace negotiations.”
“The United States will continue to support our Afghan partners to defeatISIS, Al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan, and deny themand their affiliates safe haven and material support”, he said.
“Afghan leaders and I also discussed security cooperation, and theimportance of holding timely, credible and inclusive parliamentary andpresidential elections,” he said.
“We reviewed Afghanistan’s progress in the areas of security, governance,rule of law, economic development and peace and reconciliation,” Sullivansaid.
Responding to a question, he said during talks with the Afghan government,they focused on the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistanlink>and the need for continued bilateraldiscussions between the two neighbors.
“But I also emphasized that the United States must continue to have itsbilateral relationship with Pakistan, both on its own terms, and withrespect to the region, including Afghanistan,” he said.