Kabul’s diplomatic efforts ‘encouraging’, experts say

The Afghanistan caretaker government’s pursuit of positive relations with the international community constitutes an encouraging signal to the outside world, experts and diplomats said.

“As Afghanistan navigates its path forward, the call for constructive engagement underscores the importance of diplomacy and cooperation in addressing the complex challenges facing the region,” Imran Khalid, an international affairs commentator based in Pakistan, said.

He described it as a positive move by Afghanistan’s caretaker government.

The Taliban have been “calling on the international community to help the Afghans obtain external assistance, investment and diplomatic support, all of which are crucial for the reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure and economy, as the country is gripped by a massive economic crisis”, said Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future.

In a recent address to a regional conference in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, the country’s Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi stressed Afghanistan’s positive engagement and good relations with different nations.

“We are calling upon the world community, upon all countries, far-flung countries to have positive relations with Afghanistan,” Muttaqi told the media after the wrapup of the event titled “Afghanistan’s Regional Cooperation Initiative” on Jan 29.

On the same day, Yue Xiaoyong, China’s special envoy on Afghan affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Afghanistan with the representatives of Russia, Iran and Pakistan on the Afghan issue and met with Muttaqi and other senior officials of the Afghan caretaker government, and attended the meeting.

Muttaqi noted that all of the participants in the conference emphasized that a peaceful and progressive Afghanistan is in the interests of the region, noting the role of Afghanistan in linking Central Asia to South Asia. They also agreed to cooperate on implementing major development projects.

War-torn Afghanistan has been facing harsh economic problems following the withdrawal of US-led forces from the country in August 2021, while assets of the Afghan central bank worth more than $9 billion are being held in US banks.

Late last year, Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi said the administration is looking forward to achieving self-sufficiency within the next three years.

“We are going toward self-sufficiency and will achieve the goal within the next three years. We will improve our trade relations as well,” Azizi was quoted by Tolonews television as saying.

Consistent stance

On Jan 31, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China’s policy on Afghanistan is consistent and clear. As a traditionally friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China is committed to a foreign policy of friendship toward all Afghan people and has maintained diplomatic ties, exchanges and cooperation in various areas with Afghanistan.

“We hope that the international community will step up engagement and exchange with the Afghan interim government, encourage it to actively respond to international concerns, jointly help with Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development, and support Afghanistan’s effort to combat violent terrorist forces and contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity,” he said.

Akram said 2021 saw a remarkable resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, causing a seismic shift in global politics.

“China’s diplomatic move underscores a pragmatic approach aimed at fostering regional stability and engagement,” Khalid said.