Indonesia lauds Pakistan’s role in facilitating Afghan peace process

DOHA: Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has appreciated Pakistan’s role in facilitating the Afghan peace process.

She was talking to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Doha ahead of the peace signing agreement between the US and the Afghan Taliban.

During the meeting, matters pertaining to the Afghan peace process, continuing violence against Muslims in India and the overall peace and security situation of the region came under discussion.

The United States and the Afghan Taliban are set to sign a peace deal in Doha that will end the conflict in the war-ravaged country. 

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is representing Pakistan in the signing ceremony of peace agreement. In a statement, the Foreign Minister said representatives from fifty countries, including foreign ministers of different countries, will attend the ceremony.

He expressed confidence that the peace agreement will set the tone for inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue. He said it is a big day for Afghanistan and a great opportunity as well. He wished Afghanistan peace and stability.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will witness the signing in Doha, while Secretary of Defense Mark Esper is expected to issue a joint declaration with the government of Afghanistan in Kabul.

US President Trump, in a statement, urged Afghans to seize the opportunity for peace and a new future for their country. He said when he ran for office, he had promised the American people that he would begin to bring the US troops home, and seek to end this war and are making substantial progress on that promise.