NATO in a statement on Wednesday called on parties to the Afghan peace process to negotiate toward a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire and a political roadmap.
The statement said that the recent agreement between the negotiating teams of the Afghan government and the Taliban on the rules and procedures for negotiations and the first meeting of the Leadership Committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation are “important steps” toward a comprehensive and lasting peace in Afghanistan.
“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 statement said.
According to the statement, 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 statement said.
The statement called on the Afghan government and the Taliban to fulfil their commitments to the peace process initiated by the US-Taliban agreement and the US-Afghanistan Joint Declaration.
It also suggested that NATO’s presence in Afghanistan based on conditions.
“We went into Afghanistan together, we are adjusting together, and only when the conditions are right, we will leave together,” the NATO statement said.
