Najafizada: Mr Secretary General, eighteen years since NATO’s first engagement and involvement in Afghanistan and now NATO, a military alliance, is asking the Taliban for a peace deal. Why?

Stoltenberg: Beceause the purpose of presence in Afghanistan has always been to create conditions for peace and to make sure that Afghanistan never again become safe haven, breeding ground for international terrorism. Therefore we very much welcome the initiative by President Ghani took last year to initiate a peace process and also the ceasefire that he initiated back in 2018 last year. But also we welcome the talks that are going on between the United States and the Taliban. It’s too early to say that what kind of outcome we would get, but of course we hope that it’s possible to get a political agreement.

Najafizada: Is it fair to say that NATO has failed to win the Afghan war militarily?

Stoltenberg: Our presence has sent a very clear signal to the Taliban that they will not win on the battlefield and NATO presence and the presence of the United States has been key in the fight against terrorist groups, supporting, helping training the Afghans to fight terrorist groups like ISIS Khorasan or Al Qaeda. So we have achieved a lot on the battelfied and also by providing security supporting the Afghans and created the conditions for social and economic development.

Najafizada: Is a political settlement the only options for Afghanistan?

Stoltenberg: At the end, that’s the only option because at some stage it’s important to have peace, to have a political soilution, so NATO’s military presence, the reason for our military presence is to create the conditions for a political solution, sending the signal that the Taliban wont win on the battlefield and have to sit down at the negotiating table and that’s exactly what we have done and that’s why we have talks right now.

Najafizada: What if the talks fail? What’s plan B?

Stoltenberg: First of all, we are in Afghanistan to create the conditions for a successful talks. Second, no one can tell whether the talks will succeed and if we have a peace deal as result of the ongoing efforts. We are committed to Afghanistan. That was a very clear message from all allies at the defence ministerial today to continue to provide support, train, assist and advice, but also with funding. We have to remember that we actually committed to continue to fund Afghan army and security forces until 2024. We made that decision at the summit in July. We are committed to Afghanistan and at the same time we are working for a negotiated political solution.

Najafizada: If the talks doesn’t produce results, the engemgent will be there, the funding will be there and the NATO presence will be there?

Stoltenberg: We have already committed to funding until 2024. We extended that by four more years at our summit last summer. No decision has been taken about any drawdown of number of forces, but purpose of the NATO presence is not to stay forever. Purpose is to create conditions for negotiated political solution and that’s exactly what we are doing.

Najafizada: Mr Secretary General, as a result of the NATO engagement, the country has been transformed as you have seen by your visits to the country and we are now asking the Taliban to return. Should one be worried that Taliban’s return means women wouldn’t be excuted in the football stadium or girls wouldn’t be bared from going to school.

Stoltenberg: NATO’s presence in Afghanistan has helped to facilitate an enormous social and economic progress, least for women. Back in 2001, hardly any girls attended school and now millions of girls are attending schools. And this Afghan constitution protecting the rights of also women of course.

Najafizada: But all of that is at risk at the moment.

Stoltenberg: This is important for NATO. These are gains we have been making together with Afghans and of course we want to whatever we can to preserve these gains. But we need now is am Afghan reconciliation, an Afghan agreement

Najafizada: A compromise

Stoltenberg: At the end of the dya, it has to be Afghans that own and decide this process. At the end of the day, it cannot be NATO or Brussels, or Washington, or other NATO allies decide on how the Afghans are going to develop their future.

Najafizada: Even if it’s return of the Islamic Emirate?

Stoltenberg: Well, what we have done is that we have provided enormous support over eighteen years to a democratic process in Afghainstan, to establish, modernizing and strengthening Afghan institutions and we have also trained Afghan security forces so they are now responsible for their own security in tehir own country. WE have to remember that nto so many years ago, we had more than 100,000 troops and now we are 16,000.

Najafizada: Right, and is democracy a redline?

Stoltenberg: NATO is based on some core values, including democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and of course these values are of great importance for NATO. That’s the reason why we have been fighting terrorism. That’s the reason why it’s extremely important for us to avoid that Afghanistan again becomes safe haven for international terrorism but lasting peace in Afghanistan can only be achieved through afghan reconciliation process, not dictated from abroad but created by Afghans themselves. That’s why we support Ghani’s initiative, to have an Afghan led and Afghan owned peace process.

Najafizada: My last question Mr Secretary General, are oyu worried about Russia’s recent engagement in the Afghan peace process?

Stoltenberg: I think it’s important that we all support an Afghan led and Afghan owned process and we support talks which are conducted by Ambassador Khalilzad with the Taliban. And it remains to be seen whether the meetings in Moscow help or support that process because we need to support that process which leads to an Afghan reconciliation. The Afghan govt has to be part of that and of course NATO is present, US is present in Afghanistan therefore we also play an important role to facilitate such a peace process.

Najafizada: Even if it’s facilitated by Russia?

Stoltenberg: I say that all other countries in the region, nighbours, players, including Russia, should support the efforts of Khalilzad to create the conditions for an Afghan reconciliation process which includes the Afghan government and it remains to be seen that the meetings in Moscow helps to do exactly that.

Najafizada: Mr Secretary General, thank you.

Stoltenberg: Thank you so much.