Afghanistan on agenda of NATO defence meeting

BRUSSELS: Afghanistan’s affairs will be on the agenda of the two-day meeting of the NATO defence ministers, a top NATO official said on Thursday.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO would use diplomatic and political leverage on the Taliban to prevent the country from becoming a terror-safe haven. A high-level meeting among the NATO members is being held in Brussels on October 21-22. “We will also hold the Taliban accountable for the commitments on terrorism, human rights, and safe passage,” Stoltenberg said. Talking on the sidelines of the conference, Stoltenberg said that the Afghanistan issue would be on the agenda of the conference.

“After now (they) can target Daesh sanctuaries in Afghanistan over the horizon and they may discuss how to make a single stance on it,” said Sarwar Niazai, a military analyst. “If we assume that NATO’s meeting is about whether to give the money to the Afghanistan people, and to launch aid donations, and recognize the Taliban government, then we are lucky,” said Wahid Taqat, a former military member. However, officials of the Islamic Emirate have repeatedly said that Afghanistan’s territory would not be used against any country.