China Foreign Minister Calls for Responsible Withdrawal of Foreign Troops From Afghanistan

BEIJING (Sputnik) – The upcoming withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan must be responsible to ensure the stability in the conflict-torn country, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the Xinhua news agency in an interview.

“As earlier, China will support the reconciliation process in Afghanistan. We are calling on the international community and regional countries to respect the principle of fairness, jointly support the restoration of peace in Afghanistan, [to ensure] responsible and well-ordered withdrawal of foreign troops to secure the gradual transit,” Wang said.

The minister stressed that the quick end of the military chaos in Afghanistan was not just a hope of the Afghan people, but an important interest of the region and the whole international community.

On 29 February, the Taliban and the United States reached a landmark agreement in the Qatari capital of Doha. The key provisions of the deal were that the Taliban and the Afghan government release each other’s prisoners — 1,000 and 5,000, respectively — and that the radical movement commits to reduce violence, as prerequisites of launching intra-Afghan talks.

The intra-Afghan negotiations, which began on Saturday in Doha, are now expected to pave the way for a peace process and withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan after almost two decades of war and insurgency.

Sourse: sputniknews.com