ISLAMABAD - The four-party meeting on Afghan peace process has affirmed that a sustainable peace in Afghanistan can be achieved only through a negotiated political settlement.
The special representatives of Pakistan, Russia, China and the United States met in Moscow today to hold fourth consultation on the Afghan issue.
According to a joint statement, they reviewed the current situation in Afghanistan and their joint efforts to reach sustainable settlement in the country by political and diplomatic means.
The participants committed to work with Afghanistan and the Taliban to reach a comprehensive and sustainable peace agreement that ends the war for the benefit of all Afghans, as well as contributing to regional stability and global security.
They urged all sides to immediately reduce violence to create an environment conducive for negotiations.
They called upon the Afghan government and the Taliban to release significant numbers of prisoners at the start of intra-Afghan negotiations.
Russia, China and Pakistan expressed their support for the earliest resumption of negotiation process and reaching an agreement between the United States and the Taliban, which will pave the way for launching intra-Afghan talks.
They reaffirmed that any peace agreement must include protections for the rights of all Afghans.