KABUL - National security advisors from the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan are meeting to discuss the war on terror and peace.
The National Security Council (NSC) said on Tuesday that delegates attending the quadrilateral meeting in Abdu Dhabi will hopefully finalize a joint action plan on counter-terrorism, peace and regional cooperation.
“One of the core components of the quadrilateral meeting between national security advisors from Saudi Arabia, US and UAE is to discuss issues around peace, war on terrorism and regional cooperation. It is expected that the meeting will also finalize the joint action plan,” said NSC spokesman Qader Shah.
In a statement issued by the NSC, the department said national security advisers attending the meeting have decided to identify the issue of terrorist financing and to take common action to eliminate them.
HanifAtmar, Afghanistan's National Security Advisor, arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday, leading a high-ranking delegation.
The meeting is being held between national security advisors of Afghanistan, United States, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Meanwhile, officials from the High Peace Council (HPC) have expressed hope that the meeting will help accelerate the peace process with the Taliban.
“We hope that the meeting helps to speed up the peace process so that it is started under the ownership of the Afghan government and the High Peace Council,” said HPC spokesman Sayed EhsanTahiri.
The US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are said to be among the key countries which can bring the Taliban to the negotiations table.
“Any effort which is taken for peace is a step forward and these efforts will yield an outcome one day, however we can not be very optimistic in the short term period, but the efforts will have some impact,” said political analyst Mohammad Eshaq Atmar.
This is the second meeting between the national security advisors from the four countries. The last such meeting was in March in Washington between the national security advisors of the four countries.
At the time, the National Security Council said Atmar held a four-day quadrilateral meeting and discussed the fight against terrorism, the Afghan peace process and the country’s economic development.
Participants at the meeting expressed their support for the peace process in Afghanistan, emphasizing the need for joint efforts and practical steps in order to achieve success.
National security advisers have decided to identify the issue of terrorist financing and to take common action to eliminate them, the NSC said at the time.
At this meeting, consultations and shared responsibilities were discussed about a specific mechanism needed among the four countries. (Tolo news)