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KABUL: Three world’s major powers ask the United States to return to talks with the Taliban, after Donald Trump announced last week that he stopped negotiations with the militants after a Thursday suicide attack that killed 12 people including an American soldier in Kabul.
Permanent Representatives of Russia, China and Germany I at the United Nations, said political solution would be the only way to end the Afghan war.
Chinese representative, said: “China calls on the United States to continue negotiations and reach the agreement. We ask all parties in Afghanistan including Taliban to prioritize their national interests and the interests of Afghan people and use this historical opportunity for holding negotiations.”
Germany’s envoy at the UN said: “Despite stopping of the US and Taliban negotiations, we need to compare the current situation with last year. There was no sign of negotiations last year, while we have an outlook for a real peace process today.”
Russia’s representative said that his country expected that talks’ suspension would not take long. “We feel sorry for the suspension of negotiations between the US and Taliban, which could pave the ground for the peace process and national reconciliation as well as a peaceful political solution in Afghanistan. We believe the suspension of talks will not take long.”
Taliban and the US diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad held nine rounds of talks to end the war in Afghanistan since last year. They reached at the threshold of a deal and as Khalilzad said, they had agreed on principles. Taliban were expected to sit for the first time with the government delegation in the framework of an intra-Afghan dialogue just after signing of the deal with the United States.
The United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, urges the Taliban and President Ghani’s administration to hold talks on peace. He said Tuesday that he would report about the political and security situation in Afghanistan to the UN Security Council.
“War could only be ended through face to face negotiations of the Afghans. These negotiations should be comprehensive and represent all the classes of Afghan society. Thus, it is important that the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Taliban hold a direct negotiation as soon as possible,” Yamamoto said.
Afghan Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Adela Raz, called for a reliable presidential election in her country.
“Despite all security threats and challenges, the people of Afghanistan are determined for elections. Each vote will display people’s will for the continuation of stability and democracy.”
Taliban had earlier threatened to disrupt presidential election slated for September 28.
The United Nations ruled out Taliban’s threat as unacceptable and warned that attacks on voting centers and voters would be seen as the breaching of international laws.
