Taliban assures new US admin of implementing Doha deal

Taliban has assured the new Biden administration in the US of remaining committed to the implementation of the Doha peace deal. It said that the deal was an excellent document to end the war in Afghanistan.

Kabul:In a statement on Tuesday, the Taliban has assured the new US administration, which will come to power in January 2021, of remaining committed to the implementation of the Doha peace agreement, saying it was an "excellent document" to end the decades-long war in Afghanistan.

In the statement, the group said the implementation of the US-Taliban agreement "is the most reasonable and effective tool for ending the conflict with the US", referring to their fight against American forces, TOLO News reported.

"We remain committed to the agreement on our part and view it as a powerful basis for solving the Afghan issue and we also give preference to solving our internal problems through dialogue and negotiations," it added.

In a historic move, the Taliban signed the peace deal with the US on February 29, under which the militant group will not attack American forces inside Afghanistan.

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The agreement also requires the withdrawal of American troops within 14 months since the intimation of the peace process.

The peace negotiations were inaugurated in Doha on September 12 with the hope to end the four decades of war in the country.

Negotiating teams representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban held more than 10 meetings. But direct negotiations were yet to begin.

Tuesday's statement came two days after the Taliban said that Biden should respect the Doha Agreement because it was not made with a single person but with the American government, the media reported on Monday.

A spokesman for the Taliban told the media that when the new US administration comes in power, it will need to acclaim the agreement, reports Khaama Press.

Taliban hopes that the Biden administration will abide by the Doha Peace protocols, the spokesman said.

The two developments come amidst a sharp increase in Taliban attacks on Afghan forces in many parts of the country.

IANS

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