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Travel ban waiver necessary for engagement with IEA: China
Extending travel ban exemptions for leaders of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is necessary for world’s engagement with the government, China’s ambassador to the United Nations has said.
A UN Security Council waiver allowing 13 IEA leaders, including Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, to travel abroad expired last Friday, after member states failed to agree on a possible extension in the exemptions.
Zhang Jun, the Permanent Representative of China to UN, said that engagement with IEA is “very much necessary since Afghanistan is at a critical stage.”
“We cannot say that we want the Afghanistan government to do something but meanwhile we do not give them any chance to have access to the international community and we cut off their linkage with other countries. That is not reasonable,” Zhang said.
He said that China wants IEA to make efforts on ensuring the rights of women and girls, but it is “not right” to isolate the Afghan government because of the concerns in this regard.
China and Russia have called for an extension, while the United States and Western nations have sought a reduced list of IEA officials allowed to travel, claiming IEA has failed to ensure women’s rights and form an inclusive government.
“Chinese seek their own economic interests in all countries and do not involve themselves in political and military affairs. They are not at a level to have presence in a country. They are only interested in taking Afghanistan’s resources,” said Sayed Ishaq Gelani, leader of National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan.
Anas Haqqani, a senior member of IEA, said that pressuring IEA failed over the past 20 years, and instead the world should step up engagement with the new government.
“The world still intends to confront us, it creates conspiracies, it disrupts our security. This is very disappointing. But our door of engagement is still open to them,” Haqqani aid.
The United States and allied nations have proposed granting the travel waiver to a lower number of IEA officials and limiting their travel only to Qatar, where US officials have routinely held talks with IEA delegates in recent months.
China and Russia, however, advocated allowing all 13 officials of IEA, which seized power in Afghanistan a year ago, to continue to travel.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the continuation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, stating that the ongoing provision of such aid plays an important role in ensuring regional security.
Speaking at the international conference “Peace and Trust” in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, Tokayev described addressing complex humanitarian challenges and the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a necessity.
“To ensure regional security, we consider it essential to continue providing assistance to Afghanistan, including by strengthening international efforts to address complex humanitarian issues and the reconstruction of this country. Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan through humanitarian aid, educational projects, trade development, and food security initiatives,” he said.
Meanwhile, experts believe that sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires broad cooperation from the international community and support for the country’s economic development.
“Investment can be defined as one of the fundamental drivers of the economic cycle, and whenever Afghan traders do not take their money out of the country and instead invest domestically, it naturally leads to greater growth and dynamism in Afghanistan’s economy,” said Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic analyst.
As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues, reports by international relief organizations indicate that millions of citizens of the country are in urgent need of food, health, and livelihood assistance.
The reduction in funding for aid organizations, the impacts of climate change, and the return of migrants have increased concerns about a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.
The Islamic Emirate has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming meeting of special envoys of regional countries on Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in Tehran, despite having received an invitation.
In a statement, Zia Ahmad Takal, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Islamic Emirate has maintained continuous and active engagement with all regional countries through various organizations, regional formats, and bilateral mechanisms, achieving notable progress in promoting mutual understanding and regional cooperation.
The statement added that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes regional cooperation should be advanced by strengthening existing mechanisms and formats within the region.
Tehran is set to host the meeting next week, with special envoys from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia expected to attend.
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said during a visit to Khost province on Friday that any government which rules through fear cannot be considered a true government.
“A government is one that is loved by its people, one that serves them with respect and compassion, and from whose behavior people learn ethics and sincerity,” he said.
Haqqani also stressed that Afghans who opposed the Islamic Emirate in the past should be tolerated and treated in a way that helps eliminate hostility and animosity, paving the way for national cohesion.
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