Germany calls for Kabul-Taliban negotiations

KABUL.

The Afghan security forces could mount pressure on those Taliban who were unwilling to reconcile, the German defence minister said.

During her visit to Mazar-i-Sharif, where she met German soldiers, Ursula von der Leyen said: “Only that will lead to success in the long-term,”

Reuters quoted her as saying on Tuesday she wanted to increase the German presence in Afghanistan.

Within the framework of NATO mission to train Afghan forces, Germany has 980 soldiers stationed in the war-torn country.

“The soldiers, and especially the trainers, are telling me: We have enough trainers but we could do significantly more if we had better protective components, more security personnel,” she said.

The German parliament would have to approve any additional deployments, said the visiting minister, who is a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives.

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