KABUL - US secretary of state Michael Pompeo on Saturday said the Kabul and Taliban delegates in Qatar would write next chapter in history of Afghanistan and hoped the new chapter was of reconciliation and progress, not another chronicle of tears and bloodshed.
“We urge you to make decisions that move you away from violence and corruption and toward peace and prosperity,” the secretary said in his speech to the launch of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban representatives in Doha.
He said it took hard work and sacrifice to reach intra-Afghan talks and it would require hard work and sacrifice to keep it alive and take advantage of it so that the talks resulted in a durable peace.
Pompeo urged the Afghan government and the Taliban to seize the historic opportunity of making peace, saying today was a truly momentous occasion. “Afghans have at long last chosen to sit together and chart a new course for your country. This is a moment to dare to hope.”
Vowing not to forget 9/11, he said, they welcomed the Taliban commitment not to host international terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, nor to allow them to use Afghan territory to train, recruit, or fundraise.
“We welcome the same commitments by the Government of the Islamic Republic. Afghanistan should never again serve as a base for international terrorists to threaten other countries.” “You carry a great responsibility, but you are not alone. The entire world wants you to succeed.”
He said the US was a proponent of a sovereign, unified, and democratic Afghanistan that was at peace with itself and its neighbors. (Pajhwok)