US President Joe Biden has said he strongly supports the Afghan peace process and is committed to ending the two decades-long war.
It was Biden’s first speech since taking office aimed at an international audience. He spoke from the White House to a virtual crowd at the Munich Security Conference. And he specifically mentioned the Afghan peace amid other global issues.
He declared “America is back” as against former president Donald Trump’s “America First” ethos, and vowed to rebuild trust with European allies by working on various challenges.
“America is back, the transatlantic alliance is back, and we are not looking backward. We are looking forward together,” Biden said. He called the partnership between Europe and the United States “the cornerstone of all we hope to accomplish in the 21st century.”
About Afghanistan, Biden expressed the hope that the war would end in a way that would not endanger the security of the United States and its allies.
“My administration strongly supports the ongoing diplomatic process in Afghanistan and the end of its 20-year war,” said President Biden. “We are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never launches terrorist attacks on the United States, our allies and our national interests.”
He said the US government is fully committed to working with NATO and allies in Afghanistan.
“We will continue to adhere to the slogan that we will never allow Afghanistan to once again become a safe haven for terrorist activities against the United States, its allies and our interests,” Biden said.
He said he would not allow the Islamic State (ISIS) group to be revived and reorganised again.
