In telephone calls with candidates, Ban stresses need for abiding by commitments

11 Sep 2014

In telephone calls with candidates, Ban stresses need for abiding by commitments

NEW YORK - In separate telephone calls with Afghanistan’s two presidential candidates, Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, made on Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General ban Ki-moon stressed the need for both of them to abide by their public commitments and conclude the political agreement on a government of national unity.

In his conversations, the Secretary-General said the audit - which is currently on-going and is being supported by the United Nations - was robust, comprehensive and consistent with international best practices, according to remarks made by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson at a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

“The Secretary-General asked both to think of the future of Afghanistan and its people,” the spokesperson said. “He reassured them that the United Nations and the international community were united in their support of a peaceful transition in Afghanistan.”

The spokesperson added that Mr. Ban also spoke with outgoing President Hamid Karza, telling him that the world body would remain committed to a partnership with Afghanistan and expressing the hope that the President would continue to remain involved as an elder leader of the country.