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KABUL: NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that there was a real chance for peace in Afghanistan as U.S.-Taliban peace talks continue in Qatar.
Briefing newsmen in Wellington, New Zealand, Stoltenberg said, “We now see a real chance for peace in Afghanistan, we are closer to a peace deal than ever before.”
This comes as US Special Representative ZalmayKhalilzad said that his team and Taliban representatives will continue to discuss technical details as well as steps and mechanisms required for a successful implementation of the four-part agreement that they have been working toward since his appointment.
“I will travel to Delhi for pre-scheduled meetings to further build international consensus in support of the Afghan Peace Process,” he added.
He furthered; “Building on excellent progress in Kabul last week, I’ve spent the last few days in Doha, focused on the remaining issues in completing a potential deal with the Taliban that would allow for a conditions-based troop withdrawal. We have made excellent progress.”
US ambassador Khalilzad last week has expressed optimism for a good peace deal with the Taliban in the eighth round of talks in Doha. “Taliban are signaling they would like to conclude an agreement. We are ready for a good agreement,” he twitted.
Taliban group pledge that it will hold talks with the Afghan government after reaching an agreement on a schedule of foreign troops withdrawal.
However, on Tuesday, Taliban group threatened the upcoming presidential elections slated for 28 September, and called on Afghan masses to stay away from electoral gatherings and rallies.
