UNITED NATIONS, March 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday asked for the promotion of political dialogue in Afghanistan and for negotiations with the Taliban.

"We called on all parties in the country to put their national interests first and seize the important opportunity of political reconciliation to embark on the path of peace," Wu Haitao, the charge d'affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, told the Security Council.

The international community should support the Afghan-led, Afghan-owned inclusive political process, and support the government in developing a comprehensive, inclusive, and actionable roadmap for political reconciliation, he said.

Wu asked the international community to support the Afghan government's efforts to promote political dialogue and persuade the Taliban to come back to the negotiating table at an early date.

At present, the situation in Afghanistan is at a critical juncture as the country has multiple important issues on its political agenda and at the same time faces challenging security and humanitarian situations, said Wu.

The international community should honor its commitment by sustaining its firm support to Afghanistan as durable peace and development in the country will not only benefit the Afghan people, but also regional security, stability, peace, and prosperity, he said.