US, Russia, China, Pakistan urge Taliban to agree for ceasefire, begin talks with Afghan govt
(WorldNews Business)

The US, China, Russia and Pakistan have jointly urged the Taliban to immediately agree to a ceasefire and begin direct negotiations with the Afghanistan government to end the 18-year violence in the war-torn country. In a joint statement, issued on Friday following the conclusion of a meeting on the Afghan peace process held in Beijing on July 10-11, they re-affirmed that the negotiations should be `Afghan-led and Afghan-owned` and produce a peace framework as soon as possible. `This framework should guarantee the orderly and responsible transition of the security situation and detail an agreement on a future inclusive political arrangement acceptable to all Afghans,` it said. The US,...