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Dutch envoy says Afghanistan is at a crossroads in history
Caecilia Wijgers, the Dutch ambassador to Kabul, said on Thursday her country will continue to provide development assistance to Afghanistan as long as it can be done safely and responsibly.
Speaking after the last of Netherlands’ troops withdrew from Afghanistan this week,Wijgers said in a statement: “Development cooperation and military and diplomatic efforts have achieved significant results … and the security sector – which had to be built more or less from scratch – has been solidly underpinned thanks to financial support and training missions.
“The country now has a democratically elected government that allows space for free media. But growing instability and a lack of security show that these results are not irreversible.”
She said there has also been a change in the mindset of the people of Afghanistan and that society is showing the will to bring about positive change, and the strength to do so.
“This is not the same Afghanistan that was conquered by the Taliban in the late 1990s,” she said.
“We are standing at a crossroads in history. A new generation of Afghans has arisen, including many women who are not afraid to speak out.
“That progress needs to be safeguarded. And we need to continue supporting these people. Many sacrifices have been made to promote security, stability and human rights in Afghanistan. By Afghans, and also by the 25 Dutch military personnel who gave their lives for this cause. And the job is not yet done,” she said.
Wijgers also stated that a stable and secure Afghanistan is in the interests of the wider world, to prevent the country from once again becoming a haven of international terrorism, and to prevent large migration flows resulting from instability and conflicts in the future.’
Wijgers also noted it was “important to make clear that the Netherlands and other NATO Allies are still in Afghanistan, despite the withdrawal of the troops. As long as it’s safe to do so, the Netherlands will have a presence in the country, and we will work from Kabul together with Afghan government and civil society leaders. Because the ultimate goal is to achieve lasting – and above all independent – stability in Afghanistan.”
According to her, the Netherlands will go on providing development assistance as long as this can be done safely and responsibly, and as long as Dutch efforts remain sustainable.
“Among other things, our support is helping to build and strengthen the police and judicial sectors, to protect the Afghan people by enhancing the security of their communities, and to carry on demining activities. NATO will also continue to assist Afghanistan, for example by funding the Afghan armed forces,” she said.
Wijgers said peace talks between the Afghan Republic and the Taliban offer the best prospect of a stable and secure Afghanistan. “But this will take a great deal of effort and time to achieve. There is a very real chance that instability will increase again in the coming period, now that the Taliban are capturing more and more territory,” she said.
However, she stated the Netherland’s was not turning its back on Afghanistan – despite their troops having withdrawn.
“As we see it, now that we’re on board we can’t just abandon ship. It’s important that we remain committed to Afghanistan. So that everyone who has the courage to defend human rights can be supported. They are the agents of change. We are still there, for them and with them,” she said.
Wijgers said it was also important that the Afghan police continue to function effectively and that the Netherlands has invested a great deal in efforts to ensure this.
She went on to state that before “you can develop and progress, either as an individual or as a country, you first need to be able to exit survival mode.
“The people of Afghanistan are suffering from a collective trauma. For over 40 years, the country has been ravaged by conflict. Every family has lost someone, or seen someone killed.
“More and more victims of the country’s violent past are uniting to make their voices heard. For example at the peace talks in Doha, or in efforts to improve their own economic development. There also needs to be recognition of the suffering endured in order to move on,” she said.
Wijgers noted that despite the increasing violence, life in Afghanistan is not at a standstill. Children are going to school, and a growing number of women are attending higher education centers.
“In fact, at Herat University, over half the students are women.
“I have come to know the Afghans as a courageous, strong and proud people. They carry on resiliently, despite all they’ve gone through, and literally risk their lives every day to be able to do their work. We cannot abandon these people,” she said.
“Afghanistan has enormous potential and much to offer the world. But to achieve that, the country needs peace and stability. That remains its biggest challenge.”
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More needs to be done to boost local industry, says Kabir
The deputy prime minister for policy, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, met with Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, at Sapidar Palace on Tuesday and discussed issues around the quality of domestic products and the need to grow and develop the industrial sector.
Azizi said that good trade relations with neighboring countries has resulted in stable prices of goods in the country.
He said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry works closely with the private sector. As a result, the private sector functions in a befitting manner and the Islamic Emirate has provided necessary facilities.
Azizi said that based on the Islamic Emirate’s good economic policies, there has been a significant development in the import/export sector in the country.
Kabir in turn voiced appreciation for efforts by the leadership of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and said: “The unprecedented efforts of the IEA’s administrations and the stability of the Afghan currency caused the price of food ingredients to remain in the right state and our people also be able to buy essential materials.”
He emphasized the need to work for a balance in trade with neighboring countries, and said more efforts were needed to improve the quality of domestic products and to grow the sector.
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Russia and Tajikistan hold joint military drills along Afghanistan border
Russia and Tajikistan conducted a joint four-day military exercise along the border with Afghanistan in order to be prepared for any “potential threats”, Tajik media reported this week.
Russian military personnel from the 201st military base in Tajikistan participated in this exercise. Reports stated military personnel practiced various combat tactics, especially tactics to counter terrorist groups that illegally enter Tajikistan.
This comes amid repeated concerns expressed by Afghanistan’s neighbors about what they claim are terrorist threats originating from Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the drills but has repeatedly denied the presence of terrorist groups in the country. The IEA has also continuously said no militant group will be allowed to threaten another country from Afghanistan.
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Media Violation Commission bans two TV channels
The Media Violations Commission has ordered Noor and Barya TV channels to stop broadcasting and to appear in court, state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported on Tuesday.
ّIt is said that the decision against the channels was taken for “not observing the principles of journalism.”
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