Russia urges US Afghan exit under Doha pact

KABUL (Pajhwok): Russia’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, on Thursday called on the United States to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by May 1 under the Doha accord.

According to the Doha agreement between the United States and the Taliban, the US must withdraw from Afghanistan within six months by May 1 of that year.

ZamirKabulov, speaking at a news conference in Moscow, said the outcome of the Moscow conference was satisfactory as it renewed the Afghan peace process.

Kabulov called on Washington to withdraw US and NATO troops from Afghanistan within the deadline set by the US-Taliban agreement signed during the administration of former President Donald Trump.

However, current US President Joe Biden has said that the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by May 1 could be difficult.

During a visit to Kabul last week, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Aston said the Biden administration was working to “responsibly end” its long war in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon said the president has not yet made a decision on whether to keep troops in Afghanistan or withdraw.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a meeting of NATO foreign ministers that they would continue their consultations on withdrawing from Afghanistan.

Bk/ma