Participants at an international meeting on Afghanistan in Doha agreed on the need to accelerate the Afghan peace process and call for an immediate end to the ongoing violence in the country, said Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, who also attended the meeting.
He said that representatives and envoys of international and regional countries and members of the Expanded Troika in their meetings in Doha made it clear that the Afghan issue has no military solution, they shall not recognize any regime taking over by force and insisted on the acceleration of peace talks.
The statement issued by the meeting urged the two parties to take steps to build confidence and accelerate efforts to reach a political settlement and a comprehensive ceasefire as soon as possible and called for an immediate cessation of violence and attacks in and on the capitals of other governorates and cities.
The participants reiterated that they will not recognize any government in Afghanistan that is imposed through force.
Participants took note of converging statements of both sides on the following guiding principles for a political settlement: inclusive governance; respect for human rights, including the rights of women and minorities; a mechanism to deliver a representative government, a commitment to not allow any individuals or groups to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of other countries; and respect for international law, including international humanitarian law.
The participants called on all Afghan sides to act in accordance with these principles and build on them in the future political settlement.
They raised grave concerns about reports from across Afghanistan with respect to continued violence, large numbers of civilian casualties and extra-judicial killings, widespread and credible allegations of human rights violations, all attacks (ground and air) against provincial capitals and cities, and the destruction of physical infrastructure that perpetuate conflict and make reconciliation efforts more difficult.
They reaffirmed that they will not recognize any government in Afghanistan that is imposed through the use of military force.
The participants committed to assisting in the reconstruction of Afghanistan once a viable political settlement is reached following good faith negotiations between the two sides.
