In a meeting with his visiting German counterpart Heiko Maas in Kabul on Monday, Acting Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said the only way to achieve peace in Afghanistan is to start face-to-face talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
He said that any program where there isn’t any role for the Afghan government and the Afghan people will not be acceptable.
“We are grateful to the efforts by all countries in the region and our international partners towards helping the Afghan people to achieve peace. But we want to emphasize that any program where there is no a role for the Afghan government and the people will not be acceptable for us, because such experiences have shown that such programs cannot lead to the restoration of sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan,” said Rabbani.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, meanwhile, expressed his assurance about his country’s continued cooperation with Afghanistan and emphasized Germany’s comprehensive support with Afghanistan in the military and civilian spheres.
Maas said the peace talks between the US and the Taliban in Qatar should not lead to the incorrect compromises that could threaten Afghanistan’s progress towards the future.
He said that concerns among the Afghan people about peace are understandable.
“I know that our American partners realize it that the peace process should not lead to false compromises, because the concerns of the Afghan people are understandable. Human rights, the right for education and learning and other gains being achieved shouldn’t be reversed. I think such an approach will not take us to the peace or yield a positive outcome. Therefore, I believe that such a mistake will not take place in Doha,” said Maas.
“What #Afghanistan has achieved in terms of improvement in human rights and the rule of law, but also for many women in particular in recent years, must be preserved. We are working hard to achieve this, because that is also a prerequisite for our future cooperation,” Maas tweeted after his meetings with Afghan officials.
Maas said that Germany as the second largest donor will continue standing by Afghanistan in its strides towards peace and development.
He said that Germany is ready to convene another Bonn conference on Afghanistan, however it depends on the progress in the peace process.
Afghanistan and Germany which have a 100 year of friendship has 1,300 troops serving in Afghanistan in the ranks of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission with majority of the forces deployed in northern Afghanistan.
At the 2016 Brussels Summit on Afghanistan, then German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier pledged 430 million euros ($480 million) annually until 2020 to Afghanistan as part of the EU funds.