US and Taliban sign peace agreement
Baku, March 1, AZERTAC
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the Taliban movement and the head of its Qatar-based office, signed a peace deal between the United States and Taliban in Qatar’s capital Doha on Saturday, TASS reported from the scene.
After the signing ceremony, Khalilzad and Baradar shook hands.
Under the terms of the agreement, Washington, its allies and the coalition commit to reducing their troop levels to 8,600 in the next 135 days and to withdrawing their forces from five military bases. Apart from that, Washington and its allies commit to pulling the rest of their forces from Afghanistan provided that the Taliban meets their commitments.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the Taliban at the signing ceremony in Doha to keep their word and to sever ties with al-Qaeda and other terrorists.
The peace deal has been worked out by the US special representative and the Taliban over months of negotiation in Doha since October 2018.
Washington will also ask the United Nations Security Council to recognize and endorse its agreement.
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