KABUL - Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai stressed today that the peace process will not succeed unless it is fully led by Afghans and lacks the support of neighboring countries, according to the local press.
According to the Tolonews multiplatform, Karzai listed as key elements for a permanent peace agreement talks and transparency throughout the Afghan nation, besides the support of nations in the region.
The former president also emphasized the need to differentiate the peace process from an agreement between the United States and Pakistan in Afghanistan.
We don't want an agreement between those two countries on Afghanistan, but we do want a peace process in which Pakistan plays an important role and in which the United States, India, Russia, China and Iran are also involved, Karzai said.
'I'm among those who believe that the US is not going to leave Afghanistan,' stated Karzai.
For the former president, Washington forces will likely be housed in the country in the form of a bilateral security agreement.
U.S. Special Envoy for Reconciliation in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad began a two-week tour of India, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan Wednesday in an attempt to revive peace talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban.
On the other hand, the insurgent group, which makes the peace process conditional on the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, demands direct talks with the government of Donald Trump, instead of the Ghani executive, whom they consider a 'Washington puppet'.