A delegation of NATO ambassadors, on a two-day visit to Kabul, met with Afghan and Resolute Support officials where they reiterated NATO’s commitment to helping to achieve lasting security in Afghanistan.
The NATO delegation included the permanent representatives to the organization from Germany, Hans-Dieter Lucas; Italy, Claudio Bisogniero; Turkey, Mehmet Fatih Ceylan; the United States’ Kay Bailey Hutchison and General Curtis Scaparrotti, Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Hutchison said taking Taliban to the peace talks table is part of Donald Trump’s strategy for South Asia and Afghanistan.
“I think when the president (Donald Trump) said that, it was right after the horrendous week of terrorist attacks by the Taliban, and he like all of us, were horrified that so much damage could be done to this country that is striving so hard for peace,” the US envoy told a press conference on Saturday.
“I think after that however, going forward, he absolutely supports peace in Afghanistan and it is part of the strategy that he put forward in August that we would bring the Taliban to the table to be a party to a peace for all of Afghanistan, a reconciliation that would bring all the parties to the table.”
She said Taliban will never win on the battlefield.
"We are not going to stand by and let Afghanistan be riven with violence again,” said Hutchison.
"So we hope that the Taliban will see that this is a no-win game for them unless they come to the table and become part of something that would make Afghanistan stronger.”
NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative Cornelius Zimmermann said peace talks was the only way to ensure peace in Afghanistan.
“The insurgents cannot win militarily. So, I think there is only one way to peace that is the negotiating table,” he said.
The US representative meanwhile pointed to the rift between government and Jamiat-e-Islami party and called for an end to tension within government.
What we are doing is saying to Afghan leaders to settle this let’s go forward,” Hutchison said.
“We are not taking a role in it but we are certainly saying this is part of reconciliation and moving forward.”
Nicholson said NATO and US respect Afghanistan’s politics and politicians.
“The message we want to convey to the Afghan people, we respect your political process and your political evolution, we respect politicians. As a military commander, my only request would be that politics not undermine security, and we keep in mind our primary goal of helping this country get to a peaceful reconciliation,” Nicholson said.