US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, meets Afgan President Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 21, 2021. (PRESIDENTIAL PALACE VIA AP)

KABUL - Afghanistan's President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and visiting US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin exchanged views on peace talks with the Taliban, the office of the president said on Sunday.

The two sides expressed concerns over continued violence in Afghanistan and emphasized that the fundamental solution to the "current situation in Afghanistan is to achieve a just and lasting peace," it said in a statement.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who arrived in the Afghan capital Kabul earlier in Sunday, was quoted as saying that the US was ready to cooperate with Afghanistan to achieve peace and stability in the country

Austin, who arrived in the Afghan capital Kabul earlier in Sunday, was quoted in the statement as saying that the US was ready to cooperate with Afghanistan to achieve peace and stability in the country.

Ghani said during the meeting that there is a consensus at all levels inside Afghanistan for peace process, and the Afghan government will make full use of the consensus and the opportunities that have arisen to bring about peace, according to the statement.

The meeting comes at a crucial time for the Afghan peace process ahead of a May 1 deadline for the withdrawal of US troops agreed by the insurgent Taliban and the administration of previous US President Donald Trump.

US President Joe Biden told ABC News on Wednesday that the deadline would be tough to meet and that his administration was consulting with allies and in the process of making a decision.

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The United States special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has also been travelling in the region in recent weeks with proposals including an interim Afghan government and a summit in Turkey to jumpstart the peace process.

Negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Qatar’s capital Doha have struggled to gain momentum and violence has risen.

The Taliban said on Friday they would like to see the process sped up but warned Washington against keeping troops in Afghanistan beyond their agreed withdrawal date.

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With Reuters inputs