NATO has never offered to hold peace talks with the Taliban because it is not the alliance's job to do so, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a video message Thursday, DPA reported.
In recent weeks, the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan has said that it has received peace overtures from NATO and rejected them, portraying the reports as proof that they are winning the war in the country.
"I have heard reports that the Taliban is rejecting negotiations with NATO. In fact, NATO never offered any negotiations, simply because this process must be led by the Afghan government," Rasmussen said.
NATO casualties have soared this year as the alliance has poured troops into the insurgent hot-spots of Helmand and Kandahar. Over 100 soldiers died in June alone, the bloodiest month on record.
"As we move into the Taliban heartland in Kandahar and central Helmand, the fighting intensifies, and we will unfortunately see more casualties," the NATO chief acknowledged.
NATO's strategy is to progressively build up the Afghan army, police force and government, so that they can take over the running of the country themselves.
The Afghan government has already reached out to militant leaders with a "peace jirga" in June, and is set to host a major development conference, tipped as a "contract with the Afghan people," in Kabul on July 20.
That conference is a "milestone" and a "clear sign that the young Afghan government increasingly is finding its feet and confidence," Rasmussen said.
In September, Afghans go to the polls to elect a new parliament. Last year's presidential election was seen as deeply flawed.
"The Afghan authorities have committed themselves to improving the electoral process in comparison with last year's elections," Rasmussen stressed.