Violence in Afghanistan must stop -- US-EU

WASHINGTON, March 23 (KUNA) -- The United States and the European Union "agree" that violence in Afghanistan should come to an end.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan Roland Kobia met in the nation's capital for consultations on the Afghan peace process during which they agreed that "bringing an end to Afghanistan's war and achieving peace must be the key objective, and that violence should cease." The Department of State said in a statement "to benefit all Afghans, the region, and the world, they further underscored that any peace agreement should uphold the rights of all Afghans, in particular those of women, minorities, and children, and ensure Afghan soil is not used by international terrorist groups or individuals against any country." It added that both sides "underscored their respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan." It affirmed that the US and EU will continue their close coordination and that "they encourage all countries to support the current peace process, inclusive intra-Afghan talks and lasting development and reconstruction in Afghanistan." Furthermore, the Department of State said in a separate statement that Representatives of the US, China and Russia also met in Washington DC during which they "exchanged views on the current status of the Afghan peace process and discussed common efforts to bring peace, prosperity, and security to Afghanistan." It added that they underscored their "respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, as well as Afghanistan's right to make its own political, security, and economic decisions." "The United States, China, and Russia agreed to continue further discussions," the statement noted.
It affirmed that the parties "will continue to seek common efforts and coordination on the Afghan peace process." (end) si.rk