KABUL (Pajhwok): Political commentators say China and Russia appear to be interested in recognising the new government in Afghanistan.
So far, the United States has been trying to mount pressure on the Taliban, who took over the country in mid-August, to form an inclusive and broad-based government.
International reaction
The US says strict conditions will be set the recognition of the Taliban. A US official said it depended on the Taliban’s performance and their relations with the world.
NATO member countries, having suspended their assistance to Afghanistan, say the new Afghan government should accept its international responsibilities.
The NATO secretary-general recently said that the new Afghan administration would be recognised if the Taliban stuck to their international commitments.
The United Nations has urged the Taliban to resolve the ongoing crisis through negotiations. It world body said that it would stay in Afghanistan for strengthening peace and giving Afghans their rights.
On the other hand, China has asked the Taliban to stay committed to forming an inclusive Islamic government. It said the Taliban were interested in having good relations with China.
By the same token, Russia says the Taliban are the current leaders of Afghanistan and that there is no alternative to them. Other countries should not impose their values on Afghanistan, President Putin said, stressing respect for the country’s history, religion and culture.
Want to create inclusive govt: Taliban
Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, said they were consulting Afghan politicians on forming an inclusive Islamic government. The Taliban wanted good relations with Afghanistan’s neighbours, he explained.
He said that the west, including the US should keep their relations with Afghanistan based on political interactions and accept the Afghans as an independent nation.
Views of political analysts
Political observer Wadir Safi thinks the Taliban have significantly changed and they are now in control of Afghanistan. For that reason, the US and other countries should formally recognise them, he suggested.
He is of the view that China and Russia have always been soft on the Taliban and that is the reason why the US is putting some pressure on the movement.
Pointing to the Doha agreement, he recalled former US president Donald Trump had signed the deal with the Taliban while his successor Joe Biden endorsed it.
“The Taliban need to establish the next government as soon as possible, They have captured Afghanistan and should assure people of security and jobs
“They should assure girls of going to school, and tell people that rumors in the media were nothing more than propaganda. Such assurances will encourage all countries to recognise them,” he argued.
Safi asked the US to recognise the Taliban as soon as possible so other countries would follow the suit.
Political analyst Qazi Mohammad Hassan Haqyar opined the Taliban had changed a lot and they maintained relations with the world in the framework of Islamic teachings.
About America’s current position, he said: “The US has fought for years in Afghanistan and suffered casualties in addition to financial losses. That is why the Americans have been making hard-hitting statements regarding their control. If they issue soft statements, it would mean they are defeated.”
He called China and Russia powerful countries and if they recognised the Taliban, others would also feel encouraged to follow suit with time.
Another political commentator, Ahmad Saeedi, claimed China and Russia were satisfied with recent developments in Afghanistan. They know the US has been ‘shamefully defeated’ in Afghanistan.
He said that the US and Europe had a strict stance on the Taliban, pressing the group on setting up an inclusive government.
“China and Russia, green-lighting the Taliban takeover, want the movement to resist pressures from the US and European Union. Ready to interact with the Taliban, China and Russia have the same policy pressurising the US. I don’t think China and Russia will stick to this policy towards the Taliban for a long time…,” he remarked.
Saeedi said China would support the Taliban if the group opposed the Uyghur Muslim minority. Russia would back the Taliban only if they promised security in Central Asian countries, he believed.
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