MOSCOW - Russia considers the planned release of senior Haqqani Network leaders a ‘gesture of goodwill’ from the Afghan government.
“We have repeatedly said that we welcome any real moves by the opposing forces in the Afghan conflict aimed at ending the armed confrontation and launching a peace process in Afghanistan,” Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia was quoted as saying in a report by TASS.
Zakharova further added “Within this context, we consider the release from prisons of three leaders of the Haqqani network connected with the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia), as a gesture of good will from the Afghan government that will help advance the intra-Afghan peace process.”
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday announced the Afghan government’s intention regarding the conditional release of three senior Haqqani network leaders including Anas Haqqani, Haji Mali Khan and Hafiz Rashid.
Meanwhile, latest reports indicate that the planned swap of prisoners aimed at releasing the two American University lecturers, has not taken place so far. (KHAAMA PRESS)