<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the week-long ceasefire announced by the Afghanistan government with the Taliban. </span></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The ceasefire, announced by the Afghan government starts from Tuesday and will run till fifth day of Eid-ul-Fitr. </div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In a statement issued by the UN Chief spokesperson, Mr Guterres called upon the terrorist group to reciprocate the temporary pause. He urged the Taliban to accept President Ashraf Ghani's peace offer to commence direct talks to bring an end to the long suffering of the Afghan people. </div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Mr. Guterres said, the UN remains committed to supporting an Afghan-led peace process. The international military presence in the country has also indicated that it will honour the pause in fighting.</div>''<div class="yj6qo" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"></div>