UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned over the latest developments in Afghanistan, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric told a briefing on Thursday, TASS reports.
"The Secretary General is following deep concern developments in Afghanistan, including the latest fighting in Gerath and Kandahar. We are particularly concerned about the shift of fighting to urban areas with the potential for civilian harm and even greater," the spokesperson said.
"We hope that discussions this week in Doha between representatives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) along with regional and international envoys will restore the pathway to negotiate settlement of the conflict," Dujarric pointed out.
"The UN stands ready to contribute to such a settlement and remains focused on providing assistance to the increasing number of Afghans in need," he emphasized.
