NATO foreign ministers to discuss troops presence and peace process

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that the ongoing peace talks are the best way to preserve the hard-won achievements of the last two decades in Afghanistan.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting, scheduled for 23 and 24 March in Brussels, Stoltenberg stated: “The ongoing peace talks are the best way to preserve the gains made over the last two decades, and to ensure a stable Afghanistan that will not serve as a safe haven for terrorists.”

Stoltenberg added that NATO Ministers will continue consultations on the situation in Afghanistan, its military presence, and will “assess our next steps together.”

He stressed that there are no easy choices and “for now, all options remain open.”

“The security situation is difficult. And we will take all the necessary measures to keep our troops safe,” Stoltenberg said.

He reiterated that the organization strongly supports efforts to infuse fresh energy into the peace process.

“This requires all parties to work to achieve progress. To reduce the high levels of violence. And to negotiate in good faith,” he said.

“It also requires constructive engagement from all regional actors and the international community,” Stoltenberg said.

This comes ahead of a summit on the Afghan peace process that will be held next month in Turkey’s Istanbul, where all sides involved in the process are expected to discuss the US proposed peace deal including the formation of a “participatory government.”