KABUL (SW) – Abdullah Abdullah, Chief of the High Council for National Reconciliation, has said the forthcoming peace conference in Turkey would help determine fate of Afghanistan.
In an interview with FRANCE 24’s Marc Perelman, Abdullah spoke about the upcoming peace talks with the Taliban to be held in Turkey in April. He expressed hope for “significant progress”.
As US President Joe Biden admitted that some US troops could still be in Afghanistan after May 1, the agreed-upon deadline for American forces to leave the country under a deal with the Taliban, Abdullah Abdullah says the agreement was “conditional”. “Taliban haven’t observed their commitment in terms of reduction in violence,” he pointed out.
Abdullah said the Afghan government was fully prepared and shall present a number of recommendations in this proposed conference next month. He said the proposed early polls plan by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani would be floated at this conference.
He said the US plan for rejuvenating the peace process is aimed at accelerating the peace process. He said part of this proposal calls for electing future leadership in Afghanistan. He added that this proposal also calls for an inclusive government ahead of presidential polls.
Abdullah stressed the government has not rejected the idea of inclusivity. He added there are no serious differences between him and the president in regard to the peace process.
This comes as the Special US Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has reached Turkey in connection with this proposed conference.
Earlier this month, Russia, the US, China, and Pakistan — the expanded troika on the Afghan settlement — called on the Taliban to abandon plans on the Spring offensive following the Moscow meeting on Afghanistan on Thursday. In a joint statement, approved by the meeting participants, the expanded “troika” urged all parties “to reduce the level of violence”, and on the Taliban – not to pursue a Spring offensive.
Pressing the warring factions in Afghanistan to reach a negotiated political settlement, the Moscow conference endorsed the UN Security Council resolution 2513 (2020) that opposed restoration of the ‘Islamic Emirate’ (Taliban regime) in Afghanistan.
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