Afghanistan's president, Ashraf Ghani, declared "a [temporary] ceasefire... provided that the Taliban reciprocate"; He went on to "call on the leadership of the Taliban to welcome the wishes of Afghans for a long-lasting and real peace, and we urge them to get ready for peace talks based on Islamic values and principles". In a statement, the U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, hailed the announcement and offered "to support, facilitate and participate in direct negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban".