Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Wednesday said that peace with the Taliban will not mean the “Talibanization” of Afghanistan or underestimating the rights of the Afghan people.
Abdullah said that peace with the Taliban somehow should be taken as a compromise and this means that the achievements of the country should be protected.
“We have given the assurance that peace with the Taliban will not mean the Talibanization of the country, peace does not mean underestimating the rights of the citizens of Afghanistan, peace means compromises,” Abdullah said who addressed a ceremony in Kabul on NATO’s 70th anniversary.
NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan Nicholas Kay, meanwhile, stressed the need for Afghan government to play the central role in peace talks with the Taliban.
“NATO will continue to do all we can to support the Afghan government and help Afghan political leaders to build an inclusive, just and enduring peace, the next step now to be an intra-Afghan dialogue where Afghans agree their terms for peace and chart a peaceful future for their country ” said Kay. “We are prepared for peace and remain firm to support the Afghan security forces. They are not just partners, they are friends, they are brothers.”
Gen. Scott Miller, Commander of US and NATO Forces in Afghanistan said that NATO’s Resolute Mission is also preparing for peace, however, the alliance will continue its longstanding cooperation with the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF).
Kay also said that NATO will do all its best to help sustainable peace is restored in Afghanistan.
“A stable and prosperous Afghanistan is in all our interests. We will remain here to assist Afghans until the conditions are right,” he said.
This new development takes place at a time that a meeting between Taliban and mainstream Afghan politicians is expected to be held in Qatar.
