Ghani meets with Biden advisor on sidelines of Uzbekistan meeting

President Ashraf Ghani met with a US delegation led by Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, he Homeland Security Advisor for U.S. President Joe Biden in Tashkent in Uzbekistan on Thursday afternoon, the Presidential Palace (ARG) said in a statement.

According to ARG, the two sides discussed US support to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), development and humanitarian assistance, and the US’s commitment to accelerating the Afghan peace process.

Sherwood-Randall stressed that the US will put all its efforts into speeding up the peace process and deepen its regional diplomacy in the area, the statement said.

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad also accompanied Liz Sherwood-Randall, who are both currently in Uzbekistan for the C5+1 meeting.

The meeting started Thursday with the focus on the current situation in Afghanistan.

Addressing the meeting, Sherwood-Randall said the United States will continue to solicit strong support for the Afghan peace process both regionally and internationally.

The format includes five Central Asian countries Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, plus the United States.

“We will continue to support negotiations to achieve a political solution that brings Afghans the peace they deserve and to build a strong regional and international support base for Afghanistan’s future,” Sherwood-Randall said.

She noted that C5+1 members can do more jointly rather than alone or on a bilateral basis to address issues of common interest.

“We will continue to provide security assistance to the Afghan National Defense Forces, as well as development and humanitarian aid. We will continue to take aggressive action against terrorist groups that threaten the US and that undermine the security of our allies and partners, including your countries,” Sherwood-Randall said.