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BRUSSELS (SW) – The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has said situation in Afghanistan is likely to get worse before it gets better amid proposed peace talks in the country.
Addressing a press conference following the Resolute Support Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, he said the Taliban must understand continuation of war is pointless, and they cannot win on the battlefield, but should sit on the negotiation table for peace.
The NATO Secretary General said situation in Afghanistan is difficult, and regional countries, including Pakistan should support the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. He added the high casualty rate among the Afghan forces is worrying, and that is why the NATO is committed towards sustainable support for Afghanistan.
Referring to the temporary truce earlier this year and the parliamentary elections in Afghanistan, he said on top of many challenges, there are some encouraging signs. Raising concerns about the high casualty rate, he said this makes it even more important to continue to train and assist the Afghan forces. “The static positions make Afghan forces vulnerable, all these issues would be addressed, to reduce the casualty rate and to make situation sustainable”, he said, adding the NATO is focused on military education, academies, command and control , Special Forces and Afghan Air Force.
Separately, Gen. Scott Miller, Commander of the U.S and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told Salam Watandar on the sidelines of the conference, that the Afghans should be proud of their security forces, and operations like in Helmand – in which the Tailban’s shadow governor was killed – are indicative of their forward advancement.
On the election process, he said Afghanistan has entered a critical phase in building and consolidating democracy. “We recognise the important steps taken by the Afghan authorities to make these elections more transparent, credible and secure. Afghanistan, for the first time, used polling centre-based voter registration. However, there were significant shortcomings, and organisational changes are required prior to holding the presidential election next year”.
He called upon the Afghan authorities to address the problems caused by fraud and procedural weaknesses, and to update and audit voter registration databases for the affected provinces. “We encourage all stakeholders to engage in the process fairly and in good faith. Successful elections will further reinforce Afghanistan’s path towards stability, security and peace”.
Resolute Support Foreign Ministers Statement on Afghanistan
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_161123.htm
