The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is working diligently to ensure a ceasefire

Abdul Salam Rahimy, Special Representative of the President and the State Minister for Peace, at the second meeting of the Senior Consultation Committee for Peace Affairs, said that the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is working diligently to ensure a ceasefire and is working to mobilize the region and the world in this regard.

At the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the member institutions of the Senior Consultation Committee for Peace Affairs in the State Ministry for Peace, the State Minister for Peace said that while we need to bring developments in the peace process amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, it is necessary to establish a humanitarian ceasefire and to stop war and violence. "The ceasefire will enable us to deliver services and aid to war-torn areas," he added.

He stressed that the government must be prepared for the new atmosphere due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and government institutions must increase their functionality.

Mr. Rahimy also said that the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has begun its work and that the Senior Coordination Committee for Peace Affairs is working to address the negotiating team's information necessities.

Also at the meeting, Masoom Stanekzai, head of the negotiating team, said that the work is underway on a package that includes humanitarian aid, setting the stage for negotiations and implementing the ceasefire. He added that short-term, medium-term and long-term plans are being carried out to end the crisis in Afghanistan.

In the meeting, representatives of the member institutions of the Senior Consultation Committee for Peace Affairs also discussed the release of Taliban prisoners, plans for post-peace development and its inclusion in Afghanistan's National Strategic Development Plan, assistance programs for war-torn areas, and the development of a refugee repatriation plan.

The Senior Coordination Committee for Peace Affairs has been established through a presidential decree to coordinate decision-making on various aspects of the peace process and is chaired by Abdul Salam Rahimy, Special Representative of the President and the State Minister for Peace.