New US envoy meets Afghan president: Kabul

US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Frank Ruggiero. -AP File Photo

KABUL: The man who replaced the late Richard Holbrooke as Washingtons acting special Afghanistan and Pakistan envoy met President Hamid Karzai Sunday in their first meeting since he took the post, Kabul said.

Frank Ruggiero assured the US-backed Afghan leader of Washingtons support for his plans to make peace with those Taliban who are not linked to terrorist groups, Karzais office said in a statement.

Karzai is trying to broker a peaceful end to the near decade-long war, an insurgency being waged by the Taliban who were ousted from power in a US-led invasion in 2001.

The mainstream Taliban has publicly rejected Karzais peace overtures. Ruggiero replaced Holbrooke as acting special representative following the latters death in December after suffering a torn aorta.

His last words were Youve got to stop this war in Afghanistan, US media reported, citing Holbrookes relatives.

The visit comes before world leaders from South Asia and beyond are expected to attend a US memorial ceremony for Holbrooke on January 14, around which a series of meetings on stabilising the region are expected to be held.


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