DOHA: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has praised the role of Qatar in bringing peace to Afghanistan, noting that today’s historic peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban drew a new path for the peace process.
Key speakers at Saturday’s opening ceremony at a hotel in Doha included Abdullah Abdullah, chairperson of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Pompeo.
Addressing the opening session of the Afghanistan Peace Negotiations that began in Doha, Pompeo said that “in this moment everyone must dare to hope and look forward to the light and remember the darkness of the past four decades and the lost lives and opportunities, and note that suffering, pain, blood and destruction now lead to hope for Afghan people and its friends”.
Pompeo added that the US would not forget the solidarity of its friends and partners in this long war.
He welcomed the Taliban’s commitment not to host terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, and not to allow them to use Afghan lands for training and preparation for their operations, as well as the commitment of the Afghan government not to allow the state to become a base for international terrorism that threatens the entire world.
The negotiations, where the two warring sides will sit face-to-face for the first time, will start on Monday.
Peace in the region
Pompeo expressed his hope that the negotiations would lead to peace, noting that the entire world wants the talks to succeed and lead to peace in the region.
He told the Afghan sides that “the choice of your future political system is, of course, yours to make” and he urged them to “seize the opportunity” to secure peace.
“Each of you, I hope you will look inside your hearts; each of you carry a great responsibility, but know that you’re not alone. The entire world wants you to succeed and is counting on you to succeed,” he said.
Kicking off proceedings earlier on Saturday, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said both parties must “rise above all form of division…by reaching an agreement on the basis of no victor and no vanquished”.