Afghan president backs peace talks with Taliban

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani says negotiations with Taliban could help “end the bloodshed” in the war-wracked country.

Speaking at the presidential palace in the capital, Kabul, on Friday, Ghani referred to peace talks with the Taliban as a priority for his administration.

The Afghan president also thanked Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar for his support for the peace talks, saying it is important that the Taliban “want to join the political process.”

On Wednesday, the Taliban leader said in a statement that, “If we look into our religious regulations, we can find that meetings and even peaceful interactions with the enemies is not prohibited.”

He said that all Taliban members “should be confident that in this process, I will unwaveringly defend our legal rights and viewpoint everywhere.”

Earlier this month, neighboring Pakistan hosted official negotiations between representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban.