Ghani admin hails NATO decision on staying in Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): Kabul has hailed NATO’s decision against a hasty pullout of its forces from the country, saying Afghanistan and the Western alliance are combating a common threat.

At the end of a two-day NATO defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday, the alliance chief said they would leave Afghanistan when allowed by security conditions on the ground.

In Kabul, Presidential Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman Dawa Khan Menapal tweeted on Friday: “The Afghan government welcomes NATO’s decision to continue its mission of training and assisting security forces of Afghanistan.”

The Afghan government and NATO were fighting against a common enemy, terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, which had close ties with the Taliban, the presidential aide said.

In the wake of its peace deal with the US, Menapal remarked, the militant movement should have severed all links with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist outfits. But the rebels chose to further strengthen these connections, he claimed.

Meanwhile, the High Council for National Reconciliation chief welcomed NATO’s support for efforts for a negotiated settlement to the war in Afghanistan.

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah said in a statement: “The High Council for National Reconciliation welcomes the NATO defense ministers’ decision to support the peace process and intra-Afghan talks.”

The panel also hailed efforts for a political settlement, an end to end violence and return to the negotiating table, Abdullah added.

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