US, Taliban sign historic peace deal in Doha
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Qatari Emir, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his counterparts from seven countries and representatives from fifty countries.
Speaking on the occasion, Taliban delegation leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar expressed full commitment to the agreement from his side. “As a political force we want to maintain positive relations with all neighbours, regional countries and international community who played a key role in this agreement.”
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said: “We want unity and prosperity of our country and for this reason, I call upon all factions to make this deal working.”
He said that he especially thanked Pakistan for its assistance and support in making the deal a success. “We appreciate the role of China, Russia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Norway, Indonesia and other countries in supporting the peace process.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his address, said that the agreement is a true test of the effort to give peace a chance. “It will ensure that Afghanistan never becomes a base of terrorists again. Reduction in violence is not perfect, but at least Taliban demonstrated that when they have the will to be peaceful, they can be.”
Appreciating the US Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, he said that he played a critical role in making the negotiations successful. He urged Taliban to sit with the Afghan government to determine the course for future of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said that the signing of this agreement became possible after phased negotiations and this will lead to the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
He said that Qatar, its leadership and people are pleased to witness the signing of peace agreement that will lead to fruitful and successful relations between the two sides.
