US & Taliban negotiated proposal for 7-day reduction in violence, Pentagon chief Esper says

The United States and the Taliban have negotiated a proposal for a seven-day reduction in violence, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday.

“We’ve said all along that the best, if not only, solution in Afghanistan is a political agreement,” Esper told reporters in Brussels. “Progress has been made on this front and we’ll have more to report on that soon.”

“It will be a continual evaluative process as we go forward – if we go forward,” Reuters quoted Esper as saying.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday there had been “notable progress” in continuing talks between the US and the Taliban.