KABUL (Pajhwok): At the third UN-convened Doha conference, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has said policy differences among states are natural but experienced diplomats should find ways of interaction and understanding rather than confrontation.
Leading an IEA delegation, the interim government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid spoke to the inaugural session of the two-day meeting of special envoys from various countries.
In a comprehensive policy speech, Mujahid stressed the conference must focus on lifting all restrictions and building trust and demonstrate a collective commitment to Afghanistan’s security, stability and prosperity.
Mujahid said differences of opinion in certain areas were natural and the important thing was that the caretaker government had the will and commitment to positive interaction and enhancing relationships.
“We believe the current Doha meeting is a crucial opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue regarding unilateral and multilateral sanctions imposed on some officials and our financial and banking sectors, as well as the broader challenges confronting our national economy.”
He said the forum represented a positive step towards addressing these issues and providing reassurances to the Afghan people that the restrictions on them would be alleviated in due course.
According to Mujahid, Afghans are asking why the easing of sanctions on financial and trade sectors remains slow-paced. Why are the government and the private sector consistently confronting various challenges?
He went on to say the Afghans, who had been suffering from war and insecurity as a result of foreign invasions and interference for almost half a century, had ultimately gained independence, ended the war and built a system aimed at fostering positive engagement with the world. However, in return, they faced sanctions and restrictions, he regretted.
The chief spokesman commented: “I think policy differences among states are natural and it is the duty of experienced diplomats to find ways of interaction and understanding rather than confrontation.”
Policy differences should not escalate to the extent that powerful states use their leverage to impose security, political and economic pressures on the Afghans, he suggested.
In addition, despite unilateral and multilateral sanctions and pressures, Mujahid said: “We banned the cultivation, processing and smuggling of opium, which affected the world.”
He continued: “Poppy cultivation remained a significant challenge for Afghanistan, but we reduced it to almost zero. However, in contrast, instead of recognising and commending these initiatives, lifting banking restrictions to stimulate the country’s economy and unfreezing our national reserves, some countries have continued with their policy of non-cooperation.”
IEA was currently endeavouring to achieve economic independence by laying the foundation of a self-sustaining and secure national economy, the government spokesman claimed.
“We are committed to advancing real economic development in Afghanistan, taking initial steps towards creating jobs, establishing factories, lifting people out of poverty and creating business opportunities for women.”
He said one essential element of the foreign policy was economic orientation, enabling them to provide connectivity to the region through Afghanistan. Following the construction of the railway line between Uzbekistan to Afghanistan in the north, Central Asia would be connected with South Asia.
“Our respective entities are working closely with our Uzbek and Pakistani counterparts.”
Mujahid said in collaboration with Turkmenistan, they had made significant progress in implementation of the ambitious gas pipeline project (TAPI) over the past two years.
He added the milestone ensured positive participation in energy exchange and connectivity between Central and South Asia through Afghanistan.
With an end to the war in Afghanistan, he said, the country had got the opportunity to use its capacity for the revival of the economy and the entire region had benefitted from the present environment of security and stability.
“Our relations with regional countries demonstrate the Islamic Emirate has the commitment and capacity to establish and maintain ties. Consequently, other nations, particularly Western countries, can remove the obstacles hindering the development of relations with the Afghan government.
“The IEA is keen on engaging constructively with Western nations as well. Like any sovereign state, we uphold certain religious and cultural values and public aspirations that must be acknowledged to facilitate progressive bilateral relations rather than encountering disputes and stagnation,” Mujahid remarked.
“Our aspiration is for national sovereignty, independence, values and preferences of IEA to be duly respected, as affirmed by the United Nations Charter.”
Mujahid said they could potentially achieve significant advancements in both bilateral and multilateral engagements.
Political understanding between IEA and other nations was steadily improving, Mujahid said, referring to Kazakhstan’s decision on removing IEA from its list of banned groups.
He anticipated the Russian Federation would also undertake a similar measure in the near future.
China had officially accepted the IEA ambassador, he explained. Likewise, several countries have accepted diplomats from the Afghan government.
Referring to Palestine, Mujahid said since last October, the ongoing genocide in Gaza had become the first in history to be broadcast live.
According to him, this tragedy has severely undermined the credibility of countries and organisations that profess to uphold human rights and certain entities are directly involved in the humanitarian atrocities.
Over the past three years, he said, IEA had firmly established itself as a centralised, strong and authoritative regime domestically. It has made substantial progress in developing national institutions, implementing infrastructure projects and revitalising the national economy.
To ensure the Doha talks are productive and meaningful, he called for focus on the following aspects:
First, the removal of all restrictions and sanctions, as well as the annulment of previous resolutions that have created significant barriers for Afghanistan’s private sector.
Second, the unfreezing of all foreign reserves of Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), which are the legitimate property of the Afghan people, and restoring them to the bank’s control to:
- Enhance the implementation of monetary policy,
- Strengthen commercial banks, and
- Enable Da Afghanistan Bank to fulfill its foreign currency obligations to commercial banks.
The continued freezing of these reserves had severely impaired the ability of commercial banks to meet the currency needs of their clients, both domestically and internationally, he noted. Consequently, customers are often forced to resort to illegal methods to sustain their trade operations.
For the growth of the private sector, it is crucial that interactions between Afghan and foreign banks resume, this will enable traders to engage in commercial activities globally through legal (banking) channels.
Third, while Afghanistan has made significant strides in combating drug cultivation, production, processing and trafficking, and continues to do so, it is essential to provide alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers.
This is a shared responsibility that must be addressed collectively, and Afghanistan should not be left to manage this challenge alone.
Mujahid proposed the formation of working groups to address the issues, saying he looked forward to having productive discussions with representative on these matters.
sa/mud
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