‘Real peace will come from an intra-Afghan agreement’

KABUL (SW) – Sir Nicholas Kay, NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, has said real peace will come from an intra-Afghan agreement that preserves the rights and freedoms Afghans have enjoyed for the last 18 years.

He said this answering questions on Twitter as part of #AskNickKay live Q&A session.

He said 2020 should be different year for Afghanistan. “ANDSF are stronger; international & regional support for peace is solid; and some progress was made in 2019. #NATO commitment remains strong”, he tweeted.

The NATO SCR stressed the Taliban must end violence. It is time to focus on the future for all Afghans.

Answering a question posed by Salam Watandar about how soon after a likely agreement between the Taliban and the U.S. does he see the intra-Afghan discussions to begin and last considering there will be more items on agenda amid diverging interests?

He said: “… good question. It is important that intra-Afghan talks are inclusive. The speed of progress will be for the parties to determine”.

This comes as the Afghan government has clarified time and again that a comprehensive ceasefire remains a pre-condition for the peace talks.

ENDS