Taliban leader: We highly appreciate Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s efforts to ensure peace in Afghanistan

As the Afghan government and the Taliban are holding talks in Doha, the head of the political office of the Taliban movement noted the important role of Uzbekistan in establishing peace in Afghanistan.

“We highly appreciate the continuous efforts of the President of Uzbekistan to reach peace and stability in Afghanistan. Mr. Mirziyoyev’s proposals are very valuable to us. The initiatives aimed at ensuring peace and well-being will be beneficial not only to the peoples of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, but also for the whole Central Asia,” noted Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

He also spoke about the construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway and the Surkhan-Pul-e-Khumri power line.

“This initiative is extremely important for Afghanistan, and we are confident that it will stimulate the development of the Afghan economy. Specialists from Uzbekistan are working in Afghanistan to implement this and several other projects. Ensuring their security is an important task for us,” he said.

Mullah Baradar is confident in further strengthening of good-neighborly ties with Uzbekistan.

“A few months ago in Doha, the Taliban and the United States signed a peace agreement. This step proves that the Taliban is a proponent of peace. We will undoubtedly fulfill the terms of the agreement. Thus, we can ensure that in the future neither Uzbekistan nor other countries of Central Asia should face threat in Afghanistan,” he said.

Mullah Baradar stressed that the Taliban will not allow radical organizations to emerge in Afghanistan.

“I wish to emphasize that in the future we shall not allow radical groups and terrorist organizations to exist on the Afghan land. The peace agreement has obligations not only for the Taliban, but also for the American side. Washington must withdraw forces from Afghanistan. As soon as the military leaves the country, we will transform Afghanistan into a peaceful and prosperous country, achieve stability,” he said.

To remind, the government of Afghanistan held inclusive negotiations with the Taliban in Doha on September 12.

The US and the Taliban signed an agreement to launch the peace process in Afghanistan on February 29, 2020.

According to the February agreement between the United States and the Taliban, in order to start intra-Afghan talks, the Afghan government and the Taliban had to complete a prisoner exchange process in which the US government would release 5,000 militants, while the Taliban movement – 1,000 members of the security forces.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Taliban, in particular, pledged not to use Afghan territory to undermine the security of the US and its allies. The United States pledged to withdraw its troops within 14 months if the Taliban abided by the agreements.