EU, NATO Envoys For Afghan Peace Process Urge Taliban To Halt Spring Offensive

EU, NATO Envoys for Afghan Peace Process Urge Taliban to Halt Spring Offensive

ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2021) Special representatives of the EU and NATO allies for the Afghan peace process on Friday called on the Taliban militants to stop their springtime offensive and refrain from further attacks.

The nations decried the ongoing violence in the country and demanded that all parties to the conflict take measures to stop attacks, as well as respect their humanitarian obligations.

"In this regard, participants called upon the Taliban to stop their undeclared spring offensive, to refrain from attacks against civilians, and to stop immediately all attacks in the vicinity of hospitals, schools, universities, mosques and other civilian areas," the representatives of the European Union, NATO, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States said in a joint statement, also urging Taliban to cease planned assassinations of civil and spiritual leaders, journalists, human rights advocates, medics and judicial employees.

The envoys also reiterated their support for partnership with Afghanistan, stressing the commitment to conditional civilian assistance.

"Participants stressed that the process of the troop withdrawal must not serve as an excuse for the Taliban to suspend the peace process and that good-faith political negotiations must proceed in earnest," the statement added.

It was also emphasized that both the Taliban and the Afghan government must meet their obligations to prevent operations by terrorist groups in the country, including Al-Qaeda (banned in Russia).

The Afghan government and Taliban militants continue fighting each other despite the intra-Afghan talks currently taking place in Qatar's capital of Doha.