Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Kabul (BNA) President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, late on Monday met with the presidential advisors, a number of elders and religious scholars at the presidential palace, BNA reported the other day.
At the meeting, the president briefed them about the government achievements and Warsaw Summit as saying, in Warsaw, he asked the world countries to continue cooperation with Afghanistan, according to the agency.
The president said he would hold meetings in the near future, with the representatives of different parts, particularly political figures, religious scholars, civil society activists and would ask them to share their viewpoints with him. He lauded the brave security forces of the country for what he said devotion persuaded the world to take Afghanistan at their focal point, the agency said.
Ghani praised the security and defense forces’ capabilities in war on terrorism and said that discussions were still going on for their further strengthening, equipment and financing, the agency added quoting him as calling the role of different parts of the society, particularly elders and religious scholars the most important in the connection.
Calling management of the international sources and cooperation, the most important, he said, “Our message is clear to the regional countries that Afghanistan is willing to restore good relations with its neighbors based on its own principles and national interests.”
He denounced what he said the Taliban’s persistence in war against the government and said the militants would not reach their goals by violence, but they should gather around a negotiation table to reach lasting peace and stability in the war-torn country.
According to him, the international troops within the NATO Resolute Mission (NATO-RM) have the authority to use forces against all terrorists’ networks including the al-Qaeda group.
The agency quoted him as saying, during his separate visits to UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Arab countries pledged to extend comprehensive cooperation with Afghanistan in the near future.
On the economic area, the president added that Afghanistan had gotten rid of limited transit ways as Turkmenistan railway would soon connect Aqina of Afghanistan, helping the Afghan goods reach Europe within five or seven days.
“We reached an agreement with India on investment in Chabahar region and China, besides keeping economic cooperation continued, would contribute to Afghanistan militarily as well,” said the president adding Afghanistan is securing a good and managed relations with the regional countries and that, “We have to reach a result with Pakistan, as our request from the neighboring country was clear, requiring it not to divide terrorists into two good-and-bad groups and most importantly, refrain from interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.” “They [pointing to the militants] believe they could overthrow the government or divide Afghanistan geography into two parts, but their wishes would be a sheer dream,” warned the president asking them to lay down arms as they couldn’t win war in the battlefields and this is the time to join peace process.
The president on the police reforms said, “Trust building should be further boosted between the police and the people. Illegal armed individuals had no place at the national and Islamic culture. Use of force should be adopted logically and these are of our authorities and responsibilities.”
To conclude with, the president said he would regularly hold meeting with the presidential advisors and religious scholars as their viewpoints are too effective to him, according to the agency.
