Amid renewed hopes for the Afghan peace process, the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday welcomed the announcement by the United States and Taliban about a reduction in violence. The reduction in violence, which will begin at midnight, Saturday morning, February 22, will precede a planned signing of a peace deal between the US and Taliban on February 29.

“I welcome today’s announcement that an understanding has been reached on a significant reduction in violence across Afghanistan,” Stoltenberg said in a statement on Friday.

He said that this is a critical test of the Taliban’s willingness and ability to reduce violence, and contribute to peace in good faith.

“This could pave the way for negotiations among Afghans, sustainable peace, and ensuring the country is never again a safe haven for terrorists,” he said.

“NATO Allies have been in Afghanistan since 2001.  NATO currently has 16,000 troops in the country to support the Afghan security forces with training and funding, so that they can create the conditions for peace.  NATO remains committed to Afghanistan’s long-term security and stability,” added the NATO head.

This comes hours after The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement on Friday said the deal between the United States and the Taliban – about which the two sides have agreed after more than 10 rounds of talks led by chief negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad – will be signed on February 29.

“The United States and the Taliban have been engaged in extensive talks to facilitate a political settlement to end the war in Afghanistan, reduce United States and Allied Forces presence, and ensure that no terrorist group ever uses Afghan soil to threaten the United States or our allies,” Pompeo said in the statement.

“We are preparing for the signing to take place on February 29,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Taliban in a statement also confirmed the US-Taliban deal will be signed on Feb. 29.

The group said that the two sides – the US and the Taliban – are preparing the required security situation ahead of the signing of the deal and that representatives of different countries, and the United Nations, will be invited for the event.

Also, preparations will be made for a prisoner release, the grounds for which will be provided by the different sides for the intra-Afghan talks, and ultimately the way will be opened for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, the Taliban statement said.

The Afghan government confirms the Reduction in Violence:

According to the Afghan National Security Council (NSC), the seven-day period of the reduction in violence – which the US and the Taliban have agreed as a pre-condition to signing a peace deal – will begin sharply at 12am-midnight, the morning of Saturday, February 22.

The NSC spokesman Jawed Faisal said that Afghan forces are ready to implement the reduction in violence plan.