President Ghani’s spokesman Sediq Sediqqi, said Saturday that if the Taliban accepts the US proposal for a ceasefire, direct and face-to-face talks will begin between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Sediqqi said that US President Donald Trump advocated a peace “owned by the Afghan government” during his Thursday visit with Afghanistan’s President Ghani at Bagram airfield.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference on Friday said he welcomes “contacts” between the United States and the Taliban and said that the US consults with NATO allies “regularly” regarding peace efforts in Afghanistan.

“Secretary Pompeo has discussed, briefed Allies. Ambassador Khalilzad has briefed Allies, discussed this with Allies. And we are consulting all the time because it is not only US in Afghanistan but we have to remember there are also many non-US troops in Afghanistan,” he said.