Security Council Press Statement on Temporary Ceasefire with Taliban in Afghanistan

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Vassily A. Nebenzia (Russian Federation):

The members of the Security Council welcomed the announcement by the Government of Afghanistan on 16 June, to extend the temporary ceasefire with the Taliban after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

The members of the Security Council expressed their strong disappointment that the Taliban has not extended their previously announced partial ceasefire, and urged them to respond to the call for peace from the Afghan people by reciprocating the Government’s ceasefire in full.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their call upon the Taliban to accept the offer made by the Afghan Government in February this year to engage in direct peace talks without any preconditions and without the threat of violence, with the aim of an ultimate political settlement that leads to sustainable peace for the people of Afghanistan.

The members of the Security Council reiterated the importance of an inclusive Afghan-led and -owned peace process for the long-term prosperity and stability of Afghanistan, and expressed their full support for the Afghan Government’s efforts to that end.  They also recalled their messages on the peace process as set forth in the Security Council press statement of 15 March 2018.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that, as mandated by Security Council resolution 2405 (2018), the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General stand ready to provide their good offices to support the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, if requested by and in close consultation with the Afghan Government.