NATO Welcomes US-Taliban Agreement, Will Maintain Presence In Afghanistan - Stoltenberg

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd April, 2020) NATO allies have welcomed the recently signed peace deal between the United States and the Taliban, and the alliance remains committed to Afghanistan and will maintain its presence in the country during ongoing intra-Afghan negotiations, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday during a virtual press briefing.

Stoltenberg spoke to reporters after the conclusion of a video conference containing the foreign ministers of the alliance's member states. The secretary general said that NATO's aim in Afghanistan was to create the conditions for lasting peace and stability in the country.

"Therefore, we strongly support the peace efforts, we welcome the agreement between the Taliban and the United States," the secretary general said.

NATO insists that the best way to support the ongoing efforts to secure peace in Afghanistan is to maintain the alliance's military presence in the country, in order to send a message to the Taliban, Stoltenberg said.

"The best way for NATO to support the peace efforts is to remain committed with our presence in Afghanistan because by doing so we are sending a clear message to the Taliban, and to any other adversary, that they will not win on the battlefield, they have to sit down and make real compromises at the negotiating table," he remarked.

Additionally, Stoltenberg reiterated NATO's support for the Afghan government, adding that the alliance will continue to offer financial support and maintain its training mission in the country.

On February 29, the US and the Taliban signed a peace agreement in the Qatari capital of Doha after a week-long commitment to reduce violence held. The deal stated that talks between the Taliban and Afghan government would begin on March 10, although this deadline has passed due to the country's electoral crisis and both sides disagreeing on the release of Taliban prisoners.

Earlier on Thursday, the delegations of the Afghan government and the Taliban movement exchanged lists of prisoners who will be returned to their respective sides, paving the way for the beginning of talks.