NATO committed to long term relationship with Afghanistan: Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo

Newswire

Kabul: NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo has said that NATO was committed to its long term relationship with Afghanistan.
In a meeting with former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, the envoy discussed the peace process and Afghanistan’s relations with the NATO.

“Thank you sir (Hamid Karzai) for an excellent meeting and a very clear insight into the current situation and the Afghan Peace Process. NATO is committed to its long term relationship with Afghanistan,” Ambassador Pontecorvo tweeted after the meeting.
Earlier, Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo said the future of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will be one of the most pressing issues in the peace negotiations with the Taliban, suggesting that there is a need for more inclusive talks in this regard.

Speaking at an event organized by the Institute of War and Peace Studies (IWPS) titled “From Combatants to Peace Builders Series – The Future of ANDSF and Prospect for Integration of Taliban Fighters and Commanders into ANDSF,” the NATO envoy said there was a need for inclusion of Afghan women’s views in the peace process.
“Afghans will only feel secure when they are responsible for their own security,” Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo said. “Regional actors should also recognize that the region will be more secure if post-peace security structures are determined by the Afghans in the negotiating table.”

He said that “capable Afghan security forces give republic leaders the confidence to negotiate in the political space to maneuver at the negotiating table.”