AVA- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this amid talks between the United States and the Taliban.
He expressed support for the ongoing efforts to try to find a peaceful solution in Afghanistan.
He said that the goal of NATO presence in Afghanistan is to create the conditions for a peaceful, negotiated solution to make sure that the country never again becomes a safe haven for international terrorists and to send a message to Taliban that they will not win on the battlefield.
“We will not stay longer than necessary, but we will not leave before we have a situation which enables to leave or at reduce the number of troops without jeopardizing the main goal of our presence, and that is to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for international terrorists once again,” Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg said that US peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, briefed all allies a few weeks ago. “We are encouraged by what we see now, the progress and – and talks with Taliban,” he said.