Addressing the 20th meet of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday sought support for peace efforts in Afghanistan “within the framework of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” TOLOnews reported.

President Ghani also briefed the heads of member nations about the progress in the peace talks happening in Doha, Qatar. He said, “Unfortunately, not only the promised reduction of violence and comprehensive ceasefire has not been realized, but the violence by the Taliban has increased substantially.”

Ghani also highlighted the urgency of maintaining peace in the current scenario. Referring to the decision of releasing more than 6000 Taliban prisoners, Ghani said, “as a state and society, we have demonstrated commitment, courage, and compassion to make hard decision to start direct negotiation with Taliban.” 

Ghani also said state-to-state cooperation between the member states is necessary to mitigate the threat posed by terrorist organizations to peace and prosperity in the region. 

Given the geographical location of the country in the region, Afghanistan is best placed to provide greater connectivity among the central, south, west Asian region.