Zagreb (dpa) - NATO's secretary general calls on the Taliban to honour the commitments it struck with the United States, adding that this is a precondition for the alliance to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan.

The peace deal is an "opportunity to open negotiations among Afghans and achieve sustainable peace. In order to take that opportunity, the Taliban must honour their commitments," Stoltenberg says at a press conference in Zagreb with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

"We need to see a reduction in violence and avoid undermining the agreement," he adds.

"We will only reduce our presence if the Taliban adhere to the agreement they signed," Stoltenberg says. "We are ready to reduce if the Taliban meet the conditions from the agreement," he adds, while stressing that the alliance will not rush its departure.