Editor's Note: Adam Garrie is the director of the UK-based global policy and analysis think tank Eurasia Future and co-host of the talk show "The History Boys." The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

As peace talks between the Afghan Taliban and representatives of the United States resumed in Doha, it is crucial to develop an understanding of the present situation in terms of its historical context. Afghanistan has been in a state of civil strife since 1978. This strife has taken many forms, but the fact is that the country has not been politically unified or at peace with itself for over 40 years.

For the United States, the war in Afghanistan which began in 2001 is the longest war in which the U.S. has ever been involved and even at this late stage the U.S. continues to lose lives in the conflict. For neighboring Pakistan, over 65,000 lives have been lost due to the wave of terror unleashed since the beginning of the U.S. war in 2001, with 23,000 of the fatalities being civilians. Pakistan has likewise incurred a great economic burden from fighting new waves of terror originating from Afghan territory.

With Donald Trump making statements indicating that the U.S. will wind down its presence in Afghanistan as talks between the Taliban and Washington continue, the goal of such talks must be to bring stability not only to an Afghanistan that has experienced decades of seismic instability, but also to stabilize and secure regional countries that have been and continue to be endangered due to Afghan instability. 

In order to achieve this, the current peace talks must aim for a solution that involves unity between all political, ethnic and religious factions of the country. 1992's Peshawar Accord, the establishment of an Islamic Emirate in 1996 and multiple elections since the U.S. invasion have all uniformly failed to do this. The resulting political disunity has been the main cause of instability in the country over the decades and it is also what has allowed Afghanistan to become a major breeding ground for terrorism.

Because of this, it will be crucial for factions opposed to the Taliban to enter a sincere reconciliation process as Pakistan, China, Iran, Russia as well as the United States all accept that no peace process can succeed without Taliban participation. 

At the same time, it is important for all parties to acknowledge the commitments a reformed Taliban have made to respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities as well as the rights of women. The Taliban even have a female representative who has participated in peace talks, thus demonstrating that the group's approach has become far more moderate and inclusive since the turbulent 1990s.

It is also important that all parties to the conflict should accept that new structures of governance might be necessary in order to bring Afghanistan into a new and peaceful era. Turning Afghanistan into a federal republic or a confederation are two of many available options that can be utilized to de-escalate historic internal political tensions.

Another crucial element of the peace talks is that a post-peace process government must make commitments to respect the territorial integrity of each of Afghanistan's neighbors while working to end any and all cross-border terrorism originating from Afghan territory. In particular, if Kabul will at long last recognize the Durand Line as the internationally accepted border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, this can help bring the region into a new era in which cooperation can replace suspicion and intrigue.

Of course, none of these important and substantial goals can be realized in one or even several sessions of peace talks but nevertheless, without retaining a clear understanding of these goals, the peace talks could lose important momentum. Because of this, the peace talks must at all times retain a sense of purpose through shared goals, even as specific sessions might prove to be challenging.

All sides gathered around the peace table as well as all interested regional powers must maintain a realistic approach that strives to create the necessary political conditions for a genuine and lasting peace.

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