Pentagon, NATO Chiefs To Visit Kabul On Saturday To Meet President Ghani - Reports

KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2020) US Defense Secretary Mark Esper and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit Kabul on Saturday to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, media reported on Friday, citing presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

According to the Tolo news broadcaster, the three officials are expected to announce a joint declaration on the fight against terrorism. The meeting is happening at the same time as the US-Taliban talks in Qatar, which is expected to result in a peace agreement on Saturday.

These events will follow a week-long reduction of violence in Afghanistan that was coordinated on February 21 as a pre-condition for the anticipated peace deal.

Afghanistan has long been crippled by insecurity and conflict as the authorities try to contain the aggression of the Taliban, which has been waging war against Kabul for almost two decades, and terrorist groups.

Since 2018, the US government and the Taliban have been attempting to negotiate a peace deal that would ensure the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in exchange for the movement's guarantees that the country would not become a safe haven for terrorists. The two parties have been meeting regularly in Qatar, albeit with several breaks over Taliban attacks.