President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai in a video conference late Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to engage in talks with the Taliban to end violence and ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Despite Taliban's attack in the heart of Kabul early Tuesday morning, the two leaders discussed the importance of an Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process as "the surest way to end violence and ensure lasting stability in Afghanistan and the region" according to a statement released by the White House.
"And they reiterated their support for an office in Doha for the purpose of negotiations between the High Peace Council and authorized representatives of the Taliban," said the statement.
The video conference came just hours after the Taliban attacked Ariana Hotel in Kabul that houses the headquarters of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in the country.
Both presidents probably were alarmed by the latest attack as the hotel is situated just near the Presidential Palace and President Karzai was in residence at the time of the assault.
The two leaders discussed a wide range of topics including the importance of Afghan-led reconciliation efforts, NATO's handover of security responsibility to the Afghan forces last week and preparations for 2014 elections in Afghanistan.
"The two presidents reaffirmed that free, fair, and credible elections would be critical to Afghanistan's future," said the White House spokesman Jay Carney.
The Taliban recently opened an office in Qatar to be able to hold peace talks with opposition forces including the United States. The group has also asked Washington to release five of its most senior operatives at Guantanamo Bay in exchange for an American prisoner, Bowe Bergdahl, the only known U.S. soldier caught by the Taliban during the Afghan war.
