THE State of Qatar has welcomed a preliminary agreement reached by the Afghan government and the Taliban in the ongoing Afghan Peace Negotiations in Doha. The agreement, which Doha termed a milestone, is the first written agreement between the two sides in 19 years of Afghan conflict. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this significant progress shows that the Afghan parties are serious and able to overcome differences and address difficult issues in the way to achieve lasting peace. Qatar said what has been achieved in the talks so far raises hope that both parties will succeed in reaching a political settlement to the conflict. Doha has been hosting Afghan Peace Negotiations since September 12, 2020, and has reiterated to continue, in collaboration with the international community and its strategic allies, to support the peace process in pursuit of reaching permanent and comprehensive peace in Afghanistan. The intra-Afghan talks followed a peace deal between the Taliban and the US signed in Doha in February 2020. That agreement envisages withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counter-terrorism guarantees from the Taliban. The US has also welcomed the progress made in the intra-Afghan talks, expressing gratitude to the State of Qatar for its role as a host and facilitator of the Afghan peace talks. The US State Department said rapid progress on a political roadmap and a ceasefire is what the people of Afghanistan want more than anything else. Nato, which has thousands of troops in Afghanistan, also welcomed the progress towards a peaceful political settlement. Nato secretary general said all Nato allies strongly support the peace process, adding: “Now we would like to see more progress and we need to see rapid progress, both on establishing a political roadmap, but not least on the important issue of a comprehensive ceasefire.” Neighbouring Pakistan also welcomed the development. More than 100,000 Afghans have been killed or wounded since 2009 when the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan began documenting casualties. Thousands of troops from the US, the UK and other countries have also died in the conflict, which has left hundreds of thousands of Afghans displaced from their homes. Over the years, Qatar has played a key role in seeking an end to the conflict in Afghanistan by bringing together the warring sides and facilitating the talks. The progress achieved by the Afghan negotiators shows that an end to the long conflict and lasting peace in the country is in sight.
