Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča completes visit to Afghanistan

8 Aug 2018

Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča completes visit to Afghanistan

NEW YORK - United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Miroslav Jenča, visited Afghanistan from 6 to 8 August 2018. He met with representatives of the Government of Afghanistan, political leaders and the diplomatic community.

In his meetings, Mr Jenča emphasized the United Nations’ long-term commitment to Afghanistan and its people. He conveyed the United Nations’ strong support for the Government of Afghanistan’s efforts to hold transparent, inclusive and credible elections in October this year and Presidential elections in April 2019. He took note of the ongoing electoral preparations and areas that would benefit from further improvements, and of progress on commitments made at the 2016 Brussels Conference, which is to be reviewed at the Geneva Ministerial Conference in November. Mr. Jenča emphasized the importance of political dialogue and the shared responsibility among political leaders, the Afghan Government and the electoral institutions in creating an environment conducive to credible elections.

Assistant Secretary-General Jenča commended the Government for its efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in the country, including through the offer of unconditional peace talks to the Taliban. In light of Afghans’ strong desire for peace and reconciliation, he discussed the Government’s vision for how to move forward on a peace process and welcomed its plan for a new ceasefire. The United Nations is ready to assist if requested.