Potential Peace Deal on Afghanistan to Determine NATO's Presence in Country - Stoltenberg
The presence of NATO troops in Afghanistan as part of the alliance's Resolute Support Mission will be contingent upon the conditions that will be laid out in a potential peace deal on Afghanistan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday
The remarks were made at a press conference held ahead of the meetings of NATO defense ministers, expected to take place in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday.
"The presence of NATO troops in Afghanistan after a peace deal will, of course, depend on the content of the deal," Stoltenberg said, as quoted by NATO's press service, when asked whether the alliance would continue to finance military presence in Afghanistan after 2020-2021 in case a peace deal is reached.
At the same time, the NATO chief stressed that it was premature to talk about the future of NATO's presence in Afghanistan while the contents of the potential deal remained undisclosed.
"But I think it is a bit too early to speculate exactly on what kind of presence we will have after a potential deal, because we haven't seen the content of the deal yet," Stoltenberg noted.
The secretary general noted that the alliance was determined to provide its support for the peace process in Afghanistan, notably, by continuing to assist Afghan security forces.
"We strongly believe that the Taliban has to understand that they will not win on the battlefield. And that's important to create the conditions for a peaceful, negotiated, political solution. So, therefore, we will continue to provide support. We will also continue to provide financial support and Allies have committed to provide continued financial support until 2024," the NATO chief added.
Peace talks are currently underway between the Taliban and the United States, one of the main contributors to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The sides have held six rounds of peace talks so far and the seventh round is expected to be held in Doha on Saturday.
The Taliban and the United States are trying to reach a peace deal, which envisages the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, a permanent ceasefire and assurances from the Taliban that the country will not be ever again used as a safe haven for terrorists who threaten Washington and its allies.
In the meantime, NATO's Resolute Support Mission, aimed at providing training and assistance to Afghan security forces, which continue to fight rebel and terrorist groups operating in the country, continues to support Kabul.
Around 17,000 military personnel from 39 NATO member states are currently stationed in Afghanistan as part of the mission.