Despite the lack of governance expertise and political and diplomatic pressure from the United States and its allies, Afghanistan’s new government is managing to keep the state afloat, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday at the third ministerial conference of Afghanistan's neighboring countries (Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan).
"It can be stated that despite the lack of governance experience, financial and economic restrictions and political and diplomatic pressure from the United States and its allies, Afghanistan’s new administration is managing to keep the state afloat," Lavrov said.
According to Lavrov, certain positive results are seen in the counter-terrorism track. "Efforts in the area of human rights are being taken," he added.
Recognition of the new authorities
The main obstacle to official recognition of the Taliban government in Afghanistan (banned in Russia) is its lack of representation, Lavrov said.
"In our view, the main obstacle to the official recognition of the new government in Kabul remains its lack of representation. I mean the absence in the authorities of those individulals who would represent not only the interests of different ethnic groups of the country, national and confessional minorities, but also political forces," he said.
"If these conditions are met, the determining role in the issue of official recognition of the Taliban should belong to the UN," the minister stressed.
Accreditation of an Afghan diplomat
The Russian foreign ministry has issued accreditation to the first diplomat sent to Moscow by Afghanistan's new Taliban authorities, Lavrov said.
"I would like to note that the first Afghan diplomat sent to Moscow last month by the new authorities has been accredited by the Russian MFA," he said.
Lavrov stressed that Kabul is actively working to expand diplomatic and economic ties. "Taliban government officials regularly hold meetings with foreign partners in bilateral and multilateral formats, as they did in Moscow, Tehran, Doha, Oslo, Antalya. Today Tunxi will be added to this list," said the minister.
According to the Russian foreign minister, Moscow also notes the gradual establishment of trade and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and other states of the region, whose business structures show interest in this country. "Lavrov said, "All these contacts certainly contribute to the international recognition of the new Afghan authorities.
Competition in the Afghan direction
Western countries are trying to use the UN to create artificial competition in international and regional efforts in the Afghan direction, Lavrov said.
"The conclusion is that Western colleagues are trying to use the UN flag, the UN secretariat to create artificial competition in international and regional efforts in the Afghan direction," he said. - "We consider such actions counterproductive and call on our colleagues from the UN to be more responsible in their duties".
Lavrov said the UN should be "the main coordinator in solving the whole range of problems of post-conflict reconstruction of Afghanistan," which was discussed, in particular, at the plenary session of the Moscow format in October 2021. "It was attended by all the countries present here and the Taliban delegation. The final document contained a collective call for all of us to convene a representative international donor conference under the auspices of the United Nations as soon as possible," the minister continued.
The foreign minister stressed that it took almost six months before the United Nations, supported by extra-regional states like Qatar, Germany and Britain, responded to the call and announced the holding of a high-level conference on humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
"Frankly, we were puzzled by the lack of coordination between the organizers and participants in the preparation of this forum. We received the invitation less than two weeks before the conference. And the timing strangely coincided with our event today," Lavrov pointed out.
Responsibility for Afghan refugees
The US is trying to absolve itself of responsibility for the fate of Afghan citizens and refugees, Lavrov said.
"Washington, as we have seen more than once, is trying to shirk responsibility for the fates of Afghan citizens and refugees, including those who served the Americans and are now 'stuck' on their way to the United States in 'transit countries.' It looks like Washington doesn't mind leaving these people in the region permanently," he said.
NATO infrastructure deployment
Russia opposes the possible deployment of US and NATO military infrastructure in Central Asian countries bordering Afghanistan, Lavrov said.
"We consider the deployment of any military infrastructure of the United States and NATO or Afghans serving them on the territories of neighboring states, primarily in Central Asia, unacceptable," he said. - "Such schemes run counter to the security interests of our states and contradict the obligations stemming from the statutory documents of the Collective Security Treaty Organization."
The head of the foreign ministry called for "an extremely careful approach to appeals to host Afghan refugees in neighboring countries and for a careful weighing of possible negative consequences, which have high risks for the relevant country and regional security as a whole". "Even if such entries are presented under noble humanitarian slogans, increased vigilance is not unreasonable," he added.
On the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
In addition, the Russian minister recalled that support for any UN mission by the host state is an absolute imperative in decision-making regarding the work of all peacekeeping missions of the organization. "On March 17, the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2626 on the extension of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan was adopted. Russia took an active part in working on this document. However, we had to abstain from voting on it because of the categorical refusal of Western members of the Security Council to include a direct reference to the Taliban de facto authorities," he said.
"We are convinced that this issue should have been negotiated with the new authorities in Afghanistan. However, our insistent proposals were ignored, although the support of any UN mission by the host state is an absolute imperative in deciding the work of all peacekeeping and special political missions of the Organization," Lavrov summarized.
Afghan drug threat
"'The acuteness of the problem of illicit drug trafficking has not abated," continued Lavrov. - "According to some estimates, the profits from narcotics trafficking amount to 6 to 11 percent of Afghanistan's GDP. Last year's results show an increase in the yield of narcotics crops and the volume of drug production".
The minister pointed out that "Taliban authorities don't prohibit local farmers to grow opium poppies due to the difficult situation in the economy", but at the same time they sound the alarm about the growth of number of drug addicts up to five million people, among which about one million are women and children. He said the Taliban are also calling on the international community to "assist Afghanistan in transitioning to alternative cultures."
"We are convinced that the approaches to solving the Afghan drug problem should be comprehensive and combine law enforcement actions with the development of national agriculture and the healthcare system," stressed the head of the Russian foreign ministry.
Moscow's serious concern is also caused by the plans of the Islamic State (banned in Russia) and their supporters to destabilize Central Asian states and export instability to Russia, Lavrov said.
"Plans of ISIS and their supporters to destabilize Central Asian states and export instability to Russia are of particular concern," the diplomatic chief pointed out.
Responsibility for the economy
Western countries are responsible for the current state of Afghanistan's economy; they must shoulder the financial burden of rebuilding it, Lavrov said.
"After 20 years of NATO's military presence, accompanied by a failed experiment in imposing prescriptions and values alien to the Afghan people, the collective West is directly responsible for today's humanitarian situation and the deplorable state of the Afghan economy," he pointed out. - "Therefore, the West should bear the main financial burden of overcoming the crisis and stabilizing the situation".
Lavrov also noted that in doing so, the US is trying to absolve itself of responsibility for the fate of Afghan citizens and refugees. "However, Washington, as we have seen more than once, is trying to evade responsibility for the fates of Afghan citizens and refugees, including those who served the Americans and are now 'stuck' on their way to the United States in 'transit countries.' It seems that Washington does not mind leaving these people in the region permanently," the minister continued.
The Russian foreign minister also called US President Joe Biden's order to block $7 billion of Afghanistan's Central Bank assets in the US cynical and mocking. "Biden's order to block half of Afghanistan's central bank accounts on the pretext of the necessity to pay compensation to relatives of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks looks especially cynical and even mocking. The Afghan people had nothing to do with these crimes", he noted, stressing that the decision sharply limits the Taliban government's ability to normalize the situation and weakens the counterterrorism capacity of the Afghan military and law enforcement.
"The sincerity of American intentions to help stabilize the situation in Afghanistan is highly questionable," he concluded.
Social programs
The United States is using its influence at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to suspend the implementation of social problems in Afghanistan, Lavrov said.
"Washington, again, through its influence in the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, is stalling the implementation of social programs by the Kabul authorities. In particular, it prevents the resumption of work of Afghan financial operators with the international banking system," he said.
Lavrov said that Russia "positively assesses certain steps of international structures and financial institutions, in particular, the World Bank, which decided to unfreeze the funds of the Afghanistan Reconstruction Fund in order to alleviate the humanitarian situation". "However, these measures have not yet led to any noticeable improvement in the lives of ordinary Afghans," he added.
The minister is convinced that the Moscow format, the SCO and the CSTO are promising mechanisms for work on the reconstruction of Afghanistan. "Under such conditions it is necessary to strengthen regional cooperation and consolidate our approaches aimed at the reconstruction and normalization of all spheres of life in Afghanistan as well as suppressing the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking still coming from this country," he pointed out.
Humanitarian challenges
NATO forces have left Afghanistan in a bad shape, and the task of the international community is to help this country first of all in resolving humanitarian problems and then in reviving the economy, Lavrov said.
"The main results are reflected in the final statement of the Tunxi Initiative, which reflects the general views of the meeting participants. The main emphasis is on helping the Afghan people suffering from the legacy of almost two decades of NATO forces. They have left the country in a very bad state," he said.
"The task of the international community is to help Afghanistan first of all to solve humanitarian problems and then to revive the economy. The main message for the international community is that it has to become much more active," Lavrov added.
Expanded Troika format
Lavrov noted the importance of continuing work within the framework of the expanded Troika format (Russia, the United States, China, and Pakistan) on a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan and pointed to the need for the American side to participate in this mechanism in good faith, based on the interests of the Afghan people.
"It is important to continue working within the framework of the so-called extended troika. It has serious untapped potential and can bring together key regional partners and other donors for a comprehensive post-conflict reconstruction of Afghanistan. The main thing is that our American colleagues should participate in this mechanism in good faith, proceeding not from another geopolitical agenda, but from the interests of the Afghan people and stability in the region," Lavrov said.
Lavrov pointed out that Russia continues to provide humanitarian aid to the Afghan population. "In November-December 2021, three more shipments of humanitarian aid were delivered, including food and medicines. Another batch of humanitarian aid was delivered last week when an interagency Russian delegation was in Kabul. This visit confirmed the mutual interest in establishing Russian-Afghan cooperation in such areas as energy, transport, civil aviation, mining and agriculture," he added.
The head of the Russian diplomatic mission noted that Russia supports the adoption of the Joint Statement based on the results of today's meeting, as well as the "Tunxi Initiative" proposed by the Chinese organizers. "This document can serve as a basis for our further work to build up practical cooperation with our Afghan counterparts," the minister concluded.
The first meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighboring countries was held on October 21, 2021, in Moscow. The second - on October 27, 2021, in Tehran, which was attended by representatives of Russia, China, Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS