EU throws weight behind Afghan-owned peace process

The EU foreign policy chief on Tuesday expressed full support for an Afghan-owned peace process during her visit to capital Kabul.
Federica Mogherini met Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani at the Arg (presidential palace).
Addressing a joint news conference with Ghani, Mogherini announced the EU is ready to serve as guarantor of the peace deal in the war-ravaged country. She stressed the Constitutional framework must be upheld to achieve sustainable peace.
“First and foremost the process belongs to the Afghan people and the Afghan institutions and there is no step backwards when it comes to democracy, the constitutional setup and especially human rights, rule of law and all the achievements that have been gained especially for the Afghan women, for the children and minorities in the country,” she said.
Ghani, for his part, said Afghanistan is situated in the heart of Asia, and instability in Afghanistan would have impacts on the whole region.
“Stability cannot be brought with intimidation or with force and guns that would only start a new era of instability,” he warned.
This comes as the Taliban and the U.S. are set to resume talks next month in Doha, Qatar. The Afghan government is increasingly feeling to be sidelined in this negotiation table. The Taliban are not willing to talk with the Afghan government, resulting in a stalemate.
Calling for immediate ceasefire and resumption of peace talks in the war-ravaged country, Mogherini said EU would always remain on the side of the Afghans.