With a large international presence ... America and the Taliban sign a historic peace agreement in Doha

The signing ceremony for the peace agreement in Afghanistan between the United States and the Taliban movement began today, Saturday, in the presence of figures from several countries, amid great hopes for the end of the longest wars in the United States and the start of reconstruction.

During the signing ceremony, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said that the agreement between the United States and the Taliban is the first step to establish a comprehensive peace in Afghanistan, calling on the international community to face the challenges of peace in Afghanistan.

The Qatari minister added that his country continued its efforts and mediation to achieve peace in Afghanistan.

In turn, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during the ceremony that the United States and the Taliban have faced decades of aggressive action and lack of confidence, stressing that the Taliban have demonstrated that they can achieve peace when they decide to do so.

Pompeo added that today's agreement is a measure to ensure that Afghanistan will not again be a springboard for terrorism, and also appreciated "Qatar's role in supporting this historic agreement."

As for Mullah Abdul Ghani Brader, the Taliban’s deputy political affairs, he said in his speech, “I congratulate everyone on this achievement and we are committed to implementing the agreement,” considering that the Afghan people have suffered for four decades and hope for a new and prosperous life.

Prader added that the Taliban enters the stage of political action and opens a new page with the international community and pledges to implement all the provisions of the agreement, saying that what is happening today is a "historic achievement."

Gradual withdrawal
The governments of the United States and Afghanistan issued a joint statement today, stating that "the coalition will complete the withdrawal of the remaining forces from Afghanistan within 14 months after the publication of this joint declaration and the agreement between the United States and the Taliban ... provided that the Taliban fulfill their obligations under the agreement."

The United States will initially reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 8,600 within 135 days of an agreement with the Taliban.

The signing ceremony will be attended by officials from 18 countries, most notably Pompeo, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Turkey, Muhammed Gawishoglu, in addition to the participation of four international organizations.

The Kabul government was not represented at the signing ceremony in Doha, but it sent a team of six people to open a communication channel with the Taliban political office that was established in Doha in 2013.

cable
Prior to the start of the signing ceremony in Doha, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani held in Kabul a joint press conference with US Defense Secretary Mark Esber and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, where Ghani said, "We welcome the negotiations between Washington and the Taliban and there are points that we will work on through direct negotiations with the Taliban."

The Afghan President added that reaching peace requires sacrifices from the parties concerned and their agreement on the necessity of stopping the war, stressing that peace is part of his government's plan and a goal for society in order to rebuild the country.

If the Taliban and the Afghan government stick to the agreement, that will be a way to end the war and return American forces to the United States, President Donald Trump said.

Trump said, in a statement to the White House, that the agreement with the Taliban is the result of the arduous efforts made by those who fought hard in Afghanistan for the United States, noting that the agreement is an important step for a lasting peace in a new Afghanistan, free of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, and any terrorist group that seeks to inflict Harm in the United States, as he put it.

On the other hand, a member of the Taliban negotiation committee, Amir Khan Mottaki, told Al-Jazeera: "We are very pleased that we have achieved this historic agreement because it will allow the withdrawal of all American forces ... and will bring peace and stability to Afghanistan and everyone recognized it."

He added that the Taliban provided guarantees that Afghan lands would not be used against others, stressing that the movement was open to all parts of Afghan society, and that it had not yet decided where to negotiate with the government.