ISRS expert: Tashkent International Conference on Afghanistan became the
starting point in the process of launching the inter-Afghan peace process
Н о в о с т и
ISRS expert: Tashkent International Conference on
Afghanistan became the starting point in the process of launching the
inter-Afghan peace process
The long-awaited intra-Afghan negotiations on the
establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan started in Qatar. The
meeting of the IRA government delegation with the Taliban in Doha has
already been called "A historic opportunity for peace in Afghanistan".
"The direct dialogue was held for the first time in decades and gives real
hope for the peaceful life of the Afghan people," Bahodir Egamov, a leading
researcher at the Institute for strategic and interregional studies under
the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, said in a comment to IA "Dunyo".
- The official delegation of Uzbekistan participated in the opening
ceremony, along with representatives of Qatar, the USA, Norway, Germany,
Great Britain, Pakistan, Japan, and other countries.
The direct dialogue took place for the first time in decades and gives real
hope for the establishment of a peaceful life for the Afghan people.
According to the ISRS, the official delegation of Uzbekistan, along with
representatives of Qatar, the USA, Norway, Germany, Great Britain, Pakistan,
Japan, and other countries, took part in the opening ceremony of the
negotiations.
Talking about progress in promoting an intra-afghan settlement, both
politicians and experts in Afghanistan itself and in the countries involved
in the Afghan settlement invariably mention the key role of Tashkent in this
process. Moreover, there is increasingly heard the assertion that it was the
initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan on stabilization of the situation
in Afghanistan that helped to “reset” the Afghan negotiation process itself
and radically change the attitude of external players towards it.
Why is the policy of Uzbekistan receiving such high praise and recognition
at all levels? What exactly is credited to Tashkent in the process of
achieving peace in this long-suffering country? What initiatives of the
President of Uzbekistan are cited as an example?
First, conduction of the International Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan in
March 2018. This forum, initiated personally by the President of Uzbekistan,
then once again returned the lost attention of the world community to the
ongoing bloodshed in the Islamic Republic.
Ashraf Ghani, foreign ministers, high-ranking diplomats of almost all
countries who were not indifferent to the fate of Afghanistan gathered at
the site in Tashkent then. As a result of the conference, there was adopted
the Tashkent Declaration, which laid down the key principles of a peaceful
settlement. In fact, a consensus was reached on a strategy for further
building peace in the country.
In confirmation of the fact about the special significance of both the
conference itself and the efforts of Uzbekistan leadership for the Afghan
crisis peaceful settlement, one can cite the words of the President of
Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, who at the end of March this year noted:
"The Tashkent International Conference on Afghanistan, held two years ago at
the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, became a key
event – a «starting point» in launching a political process for a peaceful
settlement of the Afghan problem, searching for mutually acceptable forms
and mechanisms of dialogue between stakeholders”.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad also speaks about
the decisive role of the Tashkent Forum, recognizing that "the conference
laid a solid foundation for achieving current practical results." As you
know, it was after this conference that direct negotiations between the
American side and the Taliban were launched, the ultimate result of which
was the signing of the Agreement between the United States and the Taliban
on February 29, in the capital of Qatar.
It outlined almost all the important conditions for achieving peace in the
country - a reduction in violence, the withdrawal of foreign troops, the
release of prisoners, and as a result, the launch of inclusive intra-Afghan
dialogue.
The signatories of this important Agreement, including the head of the
political office of the Taliban in Qatar, Mulla Baradar, expressed their
sincere gratitude to Uzbekistan, along with other key countries, for their
assistance in promoting the peace process.
Secondly, the renewed policy and initiatives of Tashkent in the Afghan
direction found a response within the whole of Afghanistan: the ordinary
people, the official government, various political forces.
It should be noted that Uzbekistan is not burdened with a negative
historical legacy in Afghanistan and has a positive image among the main
Afghan forces and the general population.
In Afghanistan, people hope for and trust Tashkent. I must say that our
country does not fail the expectations of the Afghans.
An expert of Pakistani Center for Global and Strategic Studies Mahmoud
ul-Hasan Khan explains this success by the fact that “Tashkent’s policy in
Afghanistan from the very beginning was based on an effective formula -
winning the hearts of Afghan citizens through “intensive economic
cooperation” with Kabul, the successful implementation of transport and
logistics projects, as well as the expansion of educational programs”.
The advantage of Tashkent is the point that it managed to build a personal
and confidential dialogue with the head of the republic A. Ghani, to achieve
complete mutual understanding on a wide range of issues.
In addition, Uzbekistan enjoys authority among other domestic political
forces in Afghanistan, including the Taliban. For example, expressing hope
for cooperation with Tashkent, the deputy head of the DT office in Qatar,
Abdul Salom Hanafiy, noted that "the Taliban highly appreciate the efforts
of the President of Uzbekistan, who put forward initiatives in the interests
of peace, stability, and security in Afghanistan."
Nor did it go unnoticed in Afghanistan that during the difficult period of
the pandemic, Uzbekistan again proved itself as a true friend of the Afghan
people, who never left them in difficult years of trials and tribulations.
While other countries have closed their borders with Afghanistan due to the
pandemic, Uzbekistan has once again shown a truly brotherly attitude towards
Afghans. Thanks to the principled position of the President of Uzbekistan,
our border has always remained open for all transport freight traffic.
Cargoes with foodstuffs, essential goods, raw materials, and fuel went to
Afghanistan without stopping, ensuring the normal life of the country in
this difficult time.
In addition, during the pandemic, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev
has repeatedly made decisions to provide humanitarian assistance to the
Afghan people. Tons of flour, rice, vegetable oil, sugar, baby clothes,
medical protection, and hygiene products, and much more were delivered to
Mazari-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan.
It is noteworthy that UN Secretary-General A. Guterres expressed gratitude
to President Mirziyoyev for his efforts to provide humanitarian assistance
to the affected states in the region, including Afghanistan.
It is clear that in this situation, the participation of the Uzbek side in
the peace process will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the
negotiations. In this regard, Director of the Center for Afghan Studies at
the University of Nebraska Sher Ahmadzai points out, “The Afghan government
and people are very pleased with the wider involvement of President Shavkat
Mirziyoyev and his Administration in the Afghan direction. People are very
optimistic and positive about the participation of the Uzbek government in
the Afghan issue. "
Thirdly, the course of the President of Uzbekistan made it possible to look
anew at Afghanistan, to start considering it as an organic, integral part of
the whole of Central Asia.
James Durso, a columnist for the American magazine «The Diplomat», wrote in
his recent article on Uzbekistan's contribution to Afghan reconciliation
that “the coming to power of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in
2016 changed the character of the region's views on Afghanistan and
contributed to the recognition of this country as part of Central Asia. The
neighbors of the Islamic Republic from the CA region can now take part in
the integration of Afghanistan into the economy of the region and prevent
another collapse of the government and civil war. "
The Uzbek leader's call to stop perceiving this country solely as a source
of the threat, and to start looking at Afghanistan from the point of
opportunities received broad international support. Now there is a common
understanding of the need to involve Afghanistan in regional economic
processes.
This idea was supported by participants of the Tashkent Conference, the
Seventh Conference of Regional Economic Cooperation on Afghanistan in
November 2017 in Ashgabat, and the International Conference on Countering
Terrorism and Violent Extremism in Dushanbe in May 2018.
Moreover, there is being strengthened the understanding that economic
development programs can themselves act as a unifying starting point for
achieving intra-Afghan national reconciliation, and form the socio-economic
basis of a political settlement of the situation in Afghanistan. For
example, the leading German expert on Central Asia, Gunther Knabe, agrees
with this. He emphasizes that Uzbekistan’s Afghan strategy can become the
foundation for solving economic and political problems and will contribute
to ending the conflict in a long-suffering country.
Therefore, today it is extremely important to take advantage of the emerging
situation, ensure the continuity and progress of the peace process, and, in
parallel with efforts to reconcile the conflicting parties, start investing
in the economic future of Afghanistan, show all the participants in the
intra-Afghan confrontation the real benefits of peaceful collaboration labor
and regional cooperation.
The efforts undertaken by the President of Uzbekistan are aimed at achieving
these goals and therefore are so important for promoting intra-Afghan
reconciliation, for future peace in Afghanistan.
“Dunyo” IA
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