United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a letter to President Ashraf Ghani put forth suggestions to the Afghan government to accelerate the peace process, reports Tolo News on March 7. The proposed steps include convening an UN-facilitated conference with international stakeholders, proposals to facilitate discussion between the two sides to form a negotiated settlement and ceasefire, a meeting in Turkey between both sides to finalize a peace agreement, and a revised proposal for a 90-day reduction in violence. Nevertheless, Secretary Blinken made clear that the United States is considering all options regarding Afghanistan, including the May 1st deadline for full withdrawal.