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KABUL: Delegates from the government in Kabul will attend a US-proposed and UN-led conference in Turkey, and a separate meeting in Russia, to speed up the stalled Afghan peace process, a spokesperson said on Sunday. word of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Representatives of the Afghan government will attend both meetings. Consultations are underway as to who will attend, ”Gran Hewad, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, told Arab News.
Last week on Tuesday, Kabul said it was “considering” Russia’s offer to host the talks two days after a letter from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to President Ashraf Ghani was leaked about the ‘dead end.
Blinken’s letter included an urgent proposal to help revive talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, which began in Doha, Qatar, in September last year, but made no progress.
In addition to envoys from the Afghan government, the March 18 meeting in Russia and the conference in Turkey scheduled for April will also welcome delegates from the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), faction and influential leaders, as well as representatives of the United States, China and Pakistan.
While officials in Ghani’s administration could not confirm who would be part of the Afghan government delegation, the Taliban said they were “considering attending both conferences.”
“So far politically responsible people have not proposed a new position. Our position is the same as we received an invitation for both, and it is under deliberation, ”Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, told Arab News on Sunday.
Russia’s offer to host the conference comes a week after US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad shared a proposal with key Afghan leaders, including Ghani, for the formation of a government participatory – which would include Taliban operatives – as part of efforts to end Washington’s engagement in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history.
Khalilzad’s proposal was released ahead of the May 1 deadline for the complete withdrawal of US-led foreign troops from Afghanistan, based on a controversial deal signed between the administration of the former US president Donald Trump and the Taliban over a year ago.
Moscow, like Iran and Pakistan, has been pushing for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan for years. Russia recently hosted two rounds of talks between the Taliban and influential national leaders, in addition to being a strong supporter of forming a new government to replace Ghani, whose second term ends after four years.
Ghani has repeatedly said he is against the idea and has vowed to oppose the organization “at the cost of my life.”
His resistance prompted Blinken to literally Ghani – a copy of which was published by several media outlets last Sunday – asking the Afghan president to “develop constructive positions” on Khalilzad’s proposals to “relaunch the failed peace process”.
The letter insisted on the urgency for a new government in Afghanistan to break the deadlock in the Doha talks between representatives of the Taliban government and Kabul, which were riddled with differences.
The US Secretary of State has pushed for a UN-facilitated conference with international stakeholders, including proposals to hold a discussion between the Taliban and Kabul to form a negotiated settlement and enforce a ceasefire .
The letter also made clear to Ghani that the administration of US President Joe Biden continued to consider a “full withdrawal” of 2,500 troops from Afghanistan by the May 1 deadline, as negotiated by the Trump administration during ‘a controversial deal signed with the Taliban in February. Last year.
“I must also make it clear to you, Mr. President, that as our political process continues in Washington, the United States has not ruled out any options. We are considering the complete withdrawal of our forces by May 1, while we are considering other options, ”Blinken said in the letter.
Some of the letter’s proposals included the formation of a participatory government which would eventually transfer power to a permanent government “after the adoption of a new constitution and national elections”.
In a recent speech, however, Ghani said that “the transfer of power after the elections is for us a principle that will not be compromised”, arguing that the formation of an interim government “would plunge the country into chaos like the years. 1990”. when the former communist regime collapsed after the departure of ex-Soviet troops.
Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh reiterated Ghani’s position last week when he said: “The West and America have the right to decide their troops in Afghanistan, but it is also our right not to not reach agreement and compromise on the fate of 35 million Afghans. depending on the schedule of others. “
Shortly after Saleh’s statement, Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar adopted a softer tone and told the BBC that the letter was “not of concern to Kabul.” We have allowed this in our diplomacy – for such contacts to be made – so I don’t see it as some kind of offense or indifference.
The minister added that government leaders “will discuss the letter and the proposal, discuss it with national leaders and offer a response later.”
Experts believe, however, that Kabul “avoided a confrontation on the world stage” by agreeing to participate in the two conferences.
“The Afghan government has avoided a first collision with the international community. It will get a little tricky now. Just agreeing to attend is one thing, but who will do it is more important, ”Torek Farhadi, an adviser to the former government, told Arab News.
He added that Ghani “may be reluctant to attend meetings” because officials in his administration refused to disclose more details about key attendees.
Afghan political leaders, however, hailed the move, with former President Hamid Karzai saying in an interview with the Associated Press that the US plan for an agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban was the “best chance to accelerate the peace talks stalled between the country. sides at war.
“The Afghans themselves are in a hurry to achieve peace,” he said.
Ahmad Samin, Afghan analyst and former World Bank adviser, said: “The United States has made it clear that there is only one political solution to the war in Afghanistan, in which international support is needed. for peace negotiations. “
He added that there was “growing frustration and reluctance” to pursue a partnership with the current Afghan government, “which is riddled with corruption, human rights abuses and aid dependency. foreign without any economic or political development. “
“These are factors that prevent a reliable partnership between the United States and Afghanistan. This translates into further pressure from the United States for regional involvement in future peace negotiations, ”Samin said.
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