Off the wire
• LME base metals rise on Wednesday  • British FTSE 100 up 0.91 pct on Wednesday  • News Analysis: Greece's last chance to strike debt deal this weekend  • Mammography benefits might be overestimated: study  • 3G service in Vietnam cheapest in the world  • 1st LD: UN chief urges efforts to refrain from targeting civilians in South Sudan  • Spanish stock market rises 0.81 pct, closes at 10,430 points  • Everyone safe on returned A380 flight in Amsterdam: China Southern Airline  • 1st LD Writethru: NYSE halts trading due to tech issue  • Roundup: Lithuania concerned about possible Grexit  
You are here: 　 Home

1st LD Writethru: UN chief welcomes direct talks between Afghan government and Taliban representatives

Xinhua, July 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday welcomed direct talks held one day ago between the Afghan government and Taliban representatives in Pakistan.

The first-ever formal talks for peace between the Afghan government delegation and representatives of the Taliban were held in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan on late Tuesday.

Ban reiterated his support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, and expressed his appreciation for the commitment of the parties and the constructive role of the host, Pakistan, according to a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has said that the preliminary peace talks would include three major parts i.e. changing the initial peace talks process to a continued course, trust building and preparing a list of the most important demands in the agenda for peace talks.

"The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan while welcoming beginning the formal talks as the first step towards achieving peace is hopeful that the process could facilitate the way for achieving lasting and honorable peace in the country," said a statement of Afghan foreign ministry. Endite