Saturday, August 11, 2018
Kabul (BNA) The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Miroslav Jenea during his three-day visit to Afghanistan met with representatives of the Government of Afghanistan, political leaders and the diplomatic community and reaffirmed the UN support to Afghanistan, according to a UNAMA statement received by The Kabul Times on Thursday.
In his meetings, Mr. Jenea emphasized the United Nations long-term commitment to Afghanistan and its people. He conveyed the United Nations’ strong support for the Government of Afghanistan’s efforts to hold transparent, inclusive and credible elections in October this year and Presidential elections in April 2019.
He took note of the ongoing electoral preparations and areas that would benefit from further improvements, and of progress on commitments made at the 2016 Brussels Conferences, which is to be reviewed at the Geneva Ministerial Conference in November.
Jenea emphasized the importance of political dialogue and the shared responsibilities among political leaders, the Afghan Government and the electoral institutions in creating an environment conductive to credible elections.
Assistant Secretary-General Jenea commanded the Government for its efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in the country, including through the offer of unconditional peace talks to the Taliban.
In the light of Afghans’ strong desire for peace and reconciliation, he discussed the Government’s vision for how to move forward on a peace process and welcomed its plan for a new ceasefire. The United Nations is ready to assist if requested.
