From Olga Dmitri
MOSCOW: Russia hosted a meeting in which its participants called on the US to fully unblock Afghanistan’s central bank assets.
Following the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan, Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan resolutely demanded that Washington completely unfreeze the Afghan assets, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website.
“A strong call was made to the United States and NATO countries responsible for their 20-year military presence in Afghanistan to compensate for the damage inflicted on the Afghans over the years,” it said.
The ministry said the attendees also discussed the security situation and prospects for economic development in Afghanistan and the surrounding region.
“The importance of forming a truly inclusive government in Afghanistan, reflecting the interests of key ethno-political groups, as well as the need to eradicate terrorist, drug and other threats emanating from this country was emphasised,” the ministry noted.
An agreement was reached to continue coordinating regional efforts to promote inter-Afghan national reconciliation, strengthen security and stability in the region under the auspices of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan and other effective mechanisms, it said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also presented the “White Book” of facts on civilian deaths in Afghanistan “caused by unlawful acts of the US and its allies”. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye attended the event as guests.
The Moscow format on Afghanistan was created in April 2017. It unites 11 countries that have expressed interest in a settlement in Afghanistan — Afghanistan itself, Russia, China, Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Since it is directly hit by terrorism from across its western borders, Pakistan highlighted the footprints of terrorist organisations in Afghanistan, which have yet to be fully eradicated. Important for Pakistan was also the reality that assurances by the Interim Afghan Government on the rights of women and girls also appear to have regressed, not progressed.
Pakistan was represented by Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, Special Representative on Afghanistan, who told the regional group that as the region moved ahead, sustained engagement with the Interim Afghan Government remains imperative, and Pakistan believed that a new balance needs to be devised with them.
Set up in 2017, the Moscow Format’s Wednesdaymeeting saw member states including Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan, China, Turkmenistan, India, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan attending. Following reports of some friction between Moscow and Kabul, Taliban however could not attend. Meanwhile, at the close of the meeting, The News understands India, Russia and Iran would hold a trilateral meeting on the sidelines.
Spelling out Pakistan’s proposals at the regional meeting, Ambassador Sadiq pointed out that without prejudice to the well-known concerns, the international community should consider cooperating with the Afghan authorities on counter-terrorism and combatting drug trafficking to serve as stepping stones of such cooperation. He also stressed that the pressing humanitarian needs of the Afghan people must be de-hyphenated from any political considerations.
“As clearly provided by UN Security Council resolution 2615 (2021), humanitarian support does not fall under the ambit of sanctions. It is time to walk this talk by ensuring continued and sustained humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan”, he added.
Also, Pakistan feels that beyond the confines of humanitarian assistance, the Moscow Format should focus on generating economic activity within Afghanistan to ensure a sustainable future. This he underlined could be done by exploring realistic pathways towards unfreezing Afghanistan’s financial assets. “A roadmap for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan is equally important,” he said.
Ambassador Sadiq said that Pakistan believes that the region must continue to play a leading role in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan. “While others may have the choice to walk away, we do not enjoy that luxury. This conviction underpins our deep commitment to promoting regional solutions and also serves as a guiding principle of the ‘Neighbours of Afghanistan’ format,” he added.
