NATO chief says peace process showing ‘some encouraging progress’

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday afternoon that the organization remains committed to its presence in Afghanistan as its “the best way to support the peace efforts.”

Addressing journalists ahead of a two-day European Union Defense Ministers meeting in Brussels, Stoltenberg said: “We will address missions and operations. I will update the ministers on NATO’s presence in Afghanistan. 

“We stay committed to our presence there because we believe that’s the best way to support the peace efforts and we see some encouraging progress” on the start of intra-Afghan negotiations. 

He also said he would update the ministers on NATO’s work on how to step up the organization’s presence in Iraq. 

“Training local forces, training Iraqi security forces, building local capacity is the best way to prevent that ISIS is able to return, and both in Afghanistan and Iraq, NATO and the European Union are working very closely together, and we are now stepping up our efforts in Iraq.”

This comes after NATO said earlier this month that an Afghan-owned and led peace process aimed at finding a political resolution that ends decades of conflict is the only way to deliver sustainable peace to the Afghan people and to ensure Afghanistan’s long-term security and stability. 

At the same time, the organization called on all sides to rapidly resolve the remaining issues still preventing the start of inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations.

NATO also stated that the current level of violence – driven especially by Taliban attacks against Afghan National Defense and Security Forces – remains unacceptably high, causing instability and undermining confidence in the peace process.