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Indonesia welcomes intra-Afghan peace talks
Peace talks are the first step to achieve a lasting peace in Afghanistan, which is the ultimate hope of the people of Afghanistan, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has said.
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Taliban delegates shake hands during talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents in Doha, Qatar, on Sept. 12, 2020. (REUTERS / Ibraheem al Omari)
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ndonesia welcomed an initial step toward peace in Afghanistan after decades of conflict on Saturday, which marked the start of the negotiation process between the Kabul government and the Taliban.
The intra-Afghan negotiations follow an agreement between the United States and Taliban in February.
The agreement outlined the withdrawal of foreign forces starting May next year in exchange for peace guarantees and Taliban promises to open negotiations with the Afghan government, which the group had previously refused.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Doha on Saturday to attend the opening ceremony as the Kabul government and Taliban insurgents are scheduled to sit face to face in the Qatari capital from Sunday.
“The choice of your future political system is, of course, yours to make […],” Pompeo said as quoted by Reuters. “The United States does not seek to impose its system on others. We believe firmly that protecting the rights of all Afghans is the best way for you to break the cycle of violence.”
The peace talks were the first step to achieving a lasting peace in Afghanistan, which was the ultimate hope of the people of Afghanistan, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, who joined the opening ceremony virtually from Jakarta.
Read also: Indonesia hails ‘first step’ in US-Taliban peace deal
