Afghan presidential election to be unifying factor - U.S.
ALMATY. April 26 (Interfax) - The presidential election should prompt Afghanistan to begin a peaceful life, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said.
Stable security requires a successful political transition, he said at the third conference of foreign ministers of the Istanbul Process on Regional Security and Cooperation for a Secure and Stable Afghanistan in Almaty on Friday. In less than a year the people of Afghanistan will choose the country they want to live in, the hands they will put power into and the way to prevent conflicts that have split Afghanistan, he said.
Burns said he hoped that the Afghan presidential election would be a unifying factor, foster reconciliation and bring peace to the region.
If the Taliban misses this chance, it will be unable to restore its legality and to take part in political processes, Burns said. If they retain connections to Al-Qaeda, they will drag out the conflict and plunge the country into misery even deeper, he emphasized.