Karzai Hails Russia’s Efforts of Peace and Stability in Afghanistan

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai asked Russia to continue its efforts to bring lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. Karzai met with Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Alexander Mantytskiy yesterday evening in his office. A press release from Karzai’s office stated that Karzai appreciated Russia’s initiative for bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan and said that Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace talks are the only way to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan. The regional conference on Afghan peace and reconciliation was held in Moscow on April 14 in which Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan participated. The participants called on Taleban to leave the conflict and enter the peace dialogue with the Afghan government. Meanwhile Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that any peace talk aimed at bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned and regional countries must support the Afghan government in its quest for lasting peace.