Blinken proposes plan to accelerate peace process in Afghanistan | Al Jazeera

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has written to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, suggesting ways to accelerate Afghanistan’s stalled peace process in Afghanistan and achieve a lasting ceasefire.

In the letter outlining the strategy of US President Joe Biden’s administration, Blinken proposed convening a United Nations-facilitated conference with foreign ministers and envoys from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India and the United States “to discuss a unified approach to supporting peace in Afghanistan”.

The letter, which was published on Sunday by TOLOnews, an Afghan news outlet, also said US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been asked to share with Ghani and Taliban leaders “written proposals aimed at accelerating discussions on a negotiated settlement and ceasefire”.

Blinken said these documents will enable the government in Kabul and the Taliban to move towards developing principles that will guide the country’s constitutional and governing arrangements, develop a road map to a new, inclusive government and develop the terms of a permanent ceasefire.