We stand with Afghans in their yearning for peace: NATO

KABUL (Pajhwok): The North Atlantic Council (NAC) on Wednesday hailed the recent agreement between Afghan and Taliban negotiating teams on rules and procedures for peace negotiations as an important step toward a comprehensive and lasting peace in Afghanistan.

In a statement, the council also praised the first meeting of the Leadership Committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation, saying lasting peace was the unequivocal demand of the Afghan people.

“We urge the parties to build on this momentum by agreeing to immediately end violence and by negotiating toward a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire and a political roadmap for a prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and its neighbours.”

The council said after four decades of conflict and suffering, a negotiated political settlement offers the only hope for a lasting peace. “Violence, especially driven by Taliban attacks, continues to undermine the peace process and must end.”

“We expect negotiations to lead to an enduring and comprehensive Afghan peace agreement that puts an end to violence, builds on the progress of the last 19 years, safeguards the human rights of all Afghans, particularly women, children, and minorities, upholds the rule of law, and ensures that Afghanistan never again serves as a safe haven for terrorists.”

The NAC said NATO and its partners reaffirm our commitment to Afghanistan, the Afghan people, and Afghanistan’s security forces. “We call on the Afghan government and the Taliban to fulfill their commitments to the peace process initiated by the US-Taliban agreement and the US-Afghanistan Joint Declaration.”

It said they will continue to consult on their military presence and, if conditions allow, to adjust it to support this Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process. We went into Afghanistan together, we are adjusting together, and only when the conditions are right, we will leave together. “We stand with the Afghan people in their yearning for peace.”

pr/ma

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