Afghanistan committed to regional cooperation: FM Muttaqi

KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi on Monday renewed the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) commitment for regional cooperation based on mutual interest and respect, a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.

Addressing Regional Cooperation Initiative Conference here, Muttaqi said: “The Afghan government’s policy over the last nearly two and a half years has depicted that the New Afghanistan defines its interests with the region in a win-win mechanism - and proposes that all actors negate Zero-Sum perspective and invest on a win-win game rule and cooperation.”

The acting Afghan foreign minister said that regional cooperation could be focused on following points.

-Exploring region-centric and engagement pathways based on common regional benefits.

-Creating a region-centric narrative for positive and constructive engagement with the Afghan government to tackle existing and potential threats in the region

-Exerting efforts directed at soft connectivity and hard connectivity that would lead to regional economic development benefitting peoples of the region

-Unanimity in calling for the removal of unilateral sanctions on the region and on Afghanistan in particular

-Respecting one another’s choices of indigenous and traditional development models and governance methods

He recalled that during past nearly half a century of wars and instability in Afghanistan, it was seen that the imported plans for Afghanistan did not heal the pain of the Afghan people.

Muttaqi said that Afghanistan did not seek confrontation and controversy with any side…..rather always stressed positive engagement.

“Therefore, our choices shall be respected. Instead of proposing governance models and pointing fingers at the System, it is better to engage on mutual interests.”

Referring to the performance of less than past two and a half years he said contrary to some negative predictions and illegitimate and unilateral sanctions it was very good.

He said during this time, Afghanistan had been able to organize its governance structure, organize the triple security forces, neutralize national and regional threats by antagonist groups, ban the poppy cultivation, mobilized the countries economic engine, kicked off major development projects, and took pragmatic steps toward regional trade and transit prosperity.

“Grabbing this opportunity and initiative, also through the remaining regional mechanisms such as Afghanistan’s neighboring countries ministerial meeting or the Moscow format, we hope to succeed in reaching a regional consensus that preserves all actor’s interests,” he said

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