Welcoming Mr. Grossman, Mr. Ludin briefed the session on the deep and extensive relations between the two countries, including the support for Afghanistan’s peace process, and the main meetings on Afghanistan in the coming months – including the NATO Summit in Chicago the meeting of the foreign ministers of the “Heart of Asia” region in Kabul linked with Istanbul Process in June and Tokyo International Conference in July this year. 
On the peace process Mr. Ludin said that peace is the “most important and most urgent” aspiration of the people of Afghanistan, and the Government of Afghanistan is fully committed to realizing Afghan people’s aspiration.
Ludin added that, as the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has previously made it clear, the Afghan government is an agreement on the establishment of the Taliban Office in Qatar in order to conduct practical negotiations, but made it clear that the office has not yet been established.
He added that to establish such an office, first, it is necessary to conduct direct negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the government of Qatar and there be a clear understanding between the two countries in the context.  Hence, the Afghan Government is looking forward to having direct discussions with the Government of Qatar and is welcoming the visit of the delegation from Qatar to Kabul for this purpose in the near future.
Mr. Grossman who over his two-day visit to Kabul had meetings with the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister and members of the High Peace Council said that the Government of the United States of America supports the peace process.  He said that, “Now is the time that the efforts for the establishment of the Taliban Office in Qatar be directed at facilitating direct dialogues among Afghans to secure peace”.
He added that, “only Afghanistan decides on Afghanistan’s future”.
Grossman said that in order to establish the Qatar Office the Taliban have to declare that they have cut their relation with international terrorism, and that they support the peace process to end the conflict in Afghanistan.
Mr. Ludin clarified the position of the Afghan Government in relation to the Afghan detainees in Guantanamo.  He said that if, linked with the peace process, the Government of the United States of America decides to transfer some of the detainees and if the detainees wish to return and join their families in that country the Government of Afghanistan supports this action.