Peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have been ongoingfor months with no agreement reached yet.
The Taliban must break ties with terrorists to meet its peace commitmentsin Afghanistan, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a pressconference on Monday.
“We see that there is still a need for the Taliban to do more when it comesto delivering on their commitments … to make sure that they break oldties with international terrorists,” Stoltenberg said.
He urged the Taliban to reduce violence in Afghanistan, adding that anypossible withdrawal of troops would rely on the situation on the ground.
“Our common goal is clear: Afghanistan should never again serve as a havenfor terrorists to attack our homelands… While no ally wants to stay inAfghanistan longer than necessary we will not leave before the time isright,” Stoltenberg said.
Last week, the Taliban warned NATO against seeking a “continuation of war”as the alliance considers a planned withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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“Our message to the upcoming NATO ministerial meeting is that thecontinuation of occupation and war is neither in your interest nor in theinterest of your and our people…Anyone seeking an extension of wars andoccupation will be held liable for it just like the previous two decades,”the Taliban said in a statement.
The Trump administration reached a deal with the Taliban in 2020, whichsaid that foreign troops would leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchangefor breaking ties with Al-Qaeda and starting peace talks with Kabul, andother conditions.
The administration of the newly-elected US President Joe Biden said itwould review the deal, and the Pentagon accused the Taliban of failing tomeet its obligations to reduce violence.
