John Kerry holds meetings with Afghan presidential candidates

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who arrived in Afghanistan Thursday night, has met presidential candidates Abdullah Abdullah and his opponent Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai separately, local media reported Friday.

"Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kabul on Thursday night and held separate meetings with Abdullah and Ghani Ahmadzai late night and his talks with both the candidates focused on formation of national unity government," Tolo television reported.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (2nd L) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2nd R) in New Delhi, India, on Aug. 1, 2014. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday met here with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on bilateral as well as regional and global issues, said Indian official sources. Xinhua/Press Information Bureau

Kerry would also meet with President Hamid Karzai, according to the local media.

This is Kerry's second visit to Afghanistan over the past one month to find solution to Afghan election impasse.

Kerry visited Afghanistan in mid July and during his two-day stay in Kabul he was able to broker a deal between the two candidates, thus paving the way for the formation of a national unity government in the country. According to the deal, the winner of the presidential polls will become the president and the loser become the chief executive, which is tantamount to the post of prime minister.

The result of Afghanistan's presidential runoff polls held on June 14 has yet to be accounted, although the recounting of some 8 million votes and auditing process of ballot boxes began on July 17.