AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said the alliance expected all regional powers, including Russia and Iran, to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process and play a constructive role.
Speaking ahead of a two-day NATO foreign ministerial meeting in Brussels that began on Tuesday, Stoltenberg said NATO strongly supported an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.
He said they also welcomed President Ashraf Ghani’s peace initiative his offer to sit down with the Taliban for unconditional peace talks.
“NATO is there to create a foundation for a political solution because we train, assist and advise the Afghan security forces, armed forces, to send a clear message to the Taliban that they will never win on the battlefield.”
The NATO chief said the only solution to Afghan conflict was to sit down at the negotiating table and engage in a real peace negotiation.
“And of course we expect all powers, countries in the region, including Russia and Iran, to support this Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process and play a constructive role.”