President Ashraf Ghani held talks with some political and Jihadi leaders at the Presidential Palace on Thursday to discuss the Kabul Process conference which will be held at the end of this month.
The Presidential Palace said in a statement that the president listened to views of the participants at the meeting on the upcoming event and on ways to bring peace to the country.
“In a series of consultative meetings, I happened to meet Jihadi and political leaders today. I listened to their views in regards to the preparation of Kabul Process conference,” Ghani tweeted on Thursday.
“I assured them that their advices and views, especially about the peace process, will be reflected and included in the process of Kabul conference. The series of consultative meetings will continue with people from all walks of life,” the president said.
The consultation meetings, the Presidential Palace said, will continue even after the Kabul Process conference.
A two-day consultative meeting was held this week to discuss issues around peace ahead of Ghani’s talks with the Jihadi and political leaders.
Addressing this meeting on Wednesday, Ghani reiterated his call to the Taliban to enter into purposeful peace negotiations with the Afghan government and to stop waging war in the country.
Afghanistan’s capital will host the second Kabul Process peace meeting on February 28 - a gathering of 23 nations, the European Union, the United Nations and NATO.
The Kabul Process Conference
The first Kabul Process Conference was held last year in June. At least 27 countries and international organizations attended the event.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the purpose of the Kabul Process on Peace and Security Cooperation is to place the Afghan government as the key driving force for achieving peace, with the earnest support of regional and international partners.
The Afghan government believes that the continuation of other initiatives could be supportive of this overall endeavor, as different formats help to bring together diverse groupings and provide the space for in-depth discussions with concerned participants. Therefore, the Kabul Process will incorporate and consolidate the positive steps taken and gains achieved, the ministry says.
The premise of the Kabul Process meeting is that regional representatives rally behind Afghanistan’s vision for peace and security.
As part of this process, regional partners will need to develop measures required for ending violence and ensuring sustainable peace, creating positive dividends for the entire region.
Peace and security, the ministry says, are essential to consolidate cooperation.
According to the ministry, the meeting aims to provide a fresh start for an open engagement and exchange that can lead to creation of a stable Afghanistan, by consequence, enabling a stable region.
An Afghan Vision for Peace
Ghani will highlight the strong commitment of the Afghan government for ensuring peace in Afghanistan at the conference.
This commitment is well reflected in the recent peace agreement with Hizb-e-Islami, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said recently. “It is now anchored in a peace vision and strategy that stresses a whole-of-government approach to fostering an inclusive peace process.”
The Kabul government will call on countries in the region to reach a consensus to accept Afghan stability and actively work to achieve it.