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KABUL: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday has called on the Taliban to show willingness to make a real compromise at the negotiating table, and expect resumption of peace talks between US and Taliban.
“We would welcome the resumption of the talks, but then Taliban must show willingness to make real compromises at the negotiating table,” Stoltenberg said at a session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London on Monday.
“Unfortunately, what we see at the moment is that the Taliban are escalating violence, not ending it,” he said. “And it proves the need for firm and credible guarantees for any future peace,” he added.
Stoltenberg reiterated NATO’s commitment to Afghanistan and to ensure the country never again becomes a safe haven for international terrorists.
According to Stoltenberg, the 9/11 attack on US was an attack against freedom and democracy everywhere.
“This is why NATO Allies and partners continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in Afghanistan, to make the Afghan security forces stronger, so that they can fight international terrorism, and create the conditions for lasting peace,” Stoltenberg said.
US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban negotiating members held nine round of talks in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, and reached agreement in principle. But all the hopes toward inching a deal was dashed to the ground when US President Donald Trump called of the meeting.
President Trump termed the peace talks dead after Taliban group claimed a suicide bombing in downtown of Kabul city, where 12 innocent Afghan civilians and an American solider were killed and many others received injures.
However, the recent meeting of Khalilzad with Taliban leaders in Pakistan have showed that US have moved to restart Taliban peace talks, though officially it has not been confirmed.
