NATO Chief Welcomes Afghan Presidents Announcement Of Ceasefire With Taliban

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2018) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed on Sunday Kabuls decision to establish a three-month ceasefire with the Taliban radical movement.

Earlier in the day, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced a conditional ceasefire with the Taliban, which would begin on Monday and last until November 19. However, the president stressed that the ceasefire would be established only if the radical movement agreed to cease hostilities.

"I welcome President @ashrafghanis announcement of a second #ceasefire with the Taliban in #Afghanistan. I encourage the Taliban to demonstrate their concern for Afghans by respecting it," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.

On June 7, Ghani declared a unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban from June 11 to June 19 to mark Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. On June 17, the Afghan president prolonged the ceasefire for another 10 days. The radical movement ceased hostilities for three days of the Eid truce but rejected the government's request to prolong the ceasefire.

Afghanistan's government forces have long been fighting Taliban insurgency, as well as the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, outlawed in Russia), with the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conducting joint counterterrorist operations across the country.