NATO said Wednesday that the agreement between the peace talks teams on the rules and procedures and the first meeting of the Leadership Committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation are important steps towards a comprehensive and lasting peace in Afghanistan.

In a statement, NATO urged all warring parties to build on this momentum “by agreeing to immediately end violence and by negotiating toward a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire and a political roadmap for a prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and its neighbors.”

NATO also called on both sides to stop the violence as it undermines the Afghan peace process.

“After four decades of conflict and suffering, a negotiated political settlement offers the only hope for a lasting peace. Violence, especially driven by Taliban attacks, continues to undermine the peace process and must end,” the statement read.

“We expect negotiations to lead to an enduring and comprehensive Afghan peace agreement that puts an end to violence, builds on the progress of the last 19 years, safeguards the human rights of all Afghans, particularly women, children, and minorities, upholds the rule of law, and ensures that Afghanistan never again serves as a safe haven for terrorists,” the statement noted.

NATO reaffirmed its commitment to Afghanistan, the Afghan people, and Afghanistan’s security forces.

“We call on the Afghan government and the Taliban to fulfill their commitments to the peace process initiated by the US-Taliban agreement and the US-Afghanistan Joint Declaration,” the statement said.

“We will continue to consult on our military presence and, if conditions allow, to adjust it to support this Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process. We went into Afghanistan together, we are adjusting together, and only when the conditions are right, we will leave together.”
“We stand with the Afghan people in their yearning for peace,” NATO stated.