MOSCOW – A group of Afghan politicians led by former President Hamid Karzaiand members of the Taliban led by the deputy leader of the group MullahAbdul Ghani Baradar on Tuesday attended a ceremony in Moscow on 100 yearsof Afghanistan-Russia diplomatic relations.
Addressing the ceremony, Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradarsaid “the Islamic Emirate wants peace”, but “the hurdles on the way ofpeace should be removed”.
“The key barrier to peace is the presence of foreign forces,” Baradarreiterated, referring to the Taliban’s longtime stance on the presence ofUS and NATO forces in Afghanistan who toppled the regime in the aftermathof 9/11 attacks.
“The Islamic Emirate is firmly committed to peace, but to determine peace,first we need to address the barriers on the way of peace and that meansthe end of the occupation of Afghanistan,” Baradar added.
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“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants friendly relations with all itsneighbors and will not allow anyone to use Afghanistan’s soil againstothers,” said Latif Khan Mutaqi, a member of Taliban delegation.
