European Union foreign ministers in a meeting on Monday discussed, according to a tweet by EU envoy Roland Kobia: “Afghanistan: ceasefire, intra-Afghan negotiations, the political role of EU, resumption of the US-Taliban talks, protection of reforms and legitimate election results.”

Later the EU High Representative and Vice-President Federica Mogherini spoke about the Afghan elections and peace talks:

"We are still waiting for the preliminary results to be announced, but we are stressing our determination to accompany an Afghan-owned and an Afghan-led process for negotiation that we hope can start soon between the government and the Taliban and also our hope that the resumption of US-Taliban talks can happen soon as one step to prepare the launch of a genuine intra-Afghan peace process with direct negotiations between the government and Taliban."

She offered EU support: "We would be more than ready to support this process from the very beginning, as well as an agreement in case and when it is reached."

And Mogherini reiterated that "the only condition would be that such a process would not be at the detriment but, on the contrary, to strengthen and increase the achievements that the country has reached already, in particular when it comes to human rights and rights of women."

"We know that this is the key aspiration of the Afghan people," she added.