Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's update on the events around Afghanistan, Moscow, April 29, 2022
29 April 2022 14:30
940-29-04-2022
After the hasty escape of US and NATO occupation troops from Kabul in August 2021 and the Taliban's accession to power, the military-political situation in Afghanistan has become relatively stable. I would like to note the efforts of the new leadership to return the country to a peaceful life after a lengthy armed conflict, restore the normal processes of the national economy, ensure law and order and provide security.
We note that since the very first days, the new authorities reaffirmed their willingness to develop cooperation with the Russian Federation. We respond in kind. Our Embassy never closed even in the worst days. The Taliban, as well as the previous authorities have had an exemplary attitude towards our Embassy. We are grateful to them for their measures to ensure the security of our diplomats. We are also developing our relations with the Afghan Embassy in Moscow. Last month, we granted official accreditation to a candidate whom the Taliban appointed Afghanistan's charge d'affaires in Russia. This is the first Afghan diplomat appointed by the Taliban. He has already begun his work.
We discussed bilateral cooperation on March 24, 2022 when Kabul hosted a Russian interdepartmental delegation headed by Special Presidential Representative on Afghanistan and Director of the Foreign Ministry's Department Zamir Kabulov. Representatives of our economic, trade and transport departments attended the discussion. In parallel, on the same day, Russia delivered to Afghanistan another consignment of humanitarian aid - about 20 tonnes of medications. Naturally, we will continue this kind of assistance to Afghanistan. We note that positive conditions are being created for the further development of trade and economic ties between Russia and Afghanistan and for resumption in the areas where they have been disrupted for some time.
Direct flights between Moscow and Kabul resumed on April 25, 2022, which will promote personal contact in general and ties between our businesspeople. We are doing all we can in the Foreign Ministry to support this. We see good prospects for the development of cooperation and direct contact between our business circles, primarily in agriculture, the power industry and transport; considering Afghanistan's location, it has high potential for transit services. Overall, 140 enterprises, which were built by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, remain the foundation of the Afghan economy, which creates additional opportunities for cooperation in trade and the economy.
We note the new regional consensus as regards Afghanistan. On March 31, 2022, China hosted a meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighbours (Russia, the PRC, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). The meeting was practical and significant. It confirmed the understanding that we are closely cooperating with our partners and like-minded people and that our common goals are to ensure the creation of a stable and prosperous Afghanistan without the threat of terrorism and drug trafficking and with national accord inside the country.
We supported the final documents of the meeting in China and emphasised the need for large-scale assistance from Russia to help with Afghanistan's economic recovery. At the same time, everyone believes that the United States and its allies bear the main financial responsibility for the post-conflict recovery of the Afghan economy because of their unchallenged 20-year rule in that country.
We will also continue cooperating in other formats. Many of the participants in China's meeting attended the Moscow forum in October 2021. We will continue this cooperation.
We are open to cooperation with the United States. There is a troika consisting of the US, Russia and China, and the expanded troika format that includes Pakistan. We are not ruling out this opportunity to work together.
I believe it is now vital to focus on cooperation between those who can facilitate a resolution to Afghanistan's problems in practice. In the meantime, the United States and its allies must realise their financial liability.
In this context, I am bound to point out the continued blocking of the Afghan Central Bank's assets that were frozen by the US. At the same time, the US is demanding that Afghanistan respond to various Western ultimatums. In part, it is punishing the country with sanctions for its education reform.
The Afghan authorities decided to separate boys and girls in the education system. This task requires the additional expenses of building school facilities and more space. The assets frozen by the US illegally would be quite helpful in this respect. Instead of imposing sanctions and demonstrating a complete lack of respect for the national and cultural traditions of the Afghan people, it would be better to release these assets. At this point I will not cite any examples of how neo-liberal governments in the West approach the arrangement of the academic process for boys or girls or whatever. I believe it is necessary to respect the national traditions of Afghanistan and its people. This is much more effective than hitting them with the sanctions club for no reason, once again.
We attached much importance to the development of our contacts with Afghanistan in education. In November and December 2021, all Afghan students returned to Russia to continue their education at Russian universities (in person). We assisted in their trip here.
In conclusion, I would like to note that, like other members of the international community, we are committed to international law as regards the official, judicial, and international legal recognition of Afghanistan's new authorities. To achieve this, we believe they must continue their efforts to counter terrorist organisations that, unfortunately, still have a presence in Afghanistan. Likewise, they must also continue fighting drug trafficking. In addition, the Taliban must fulfil one more commitment that it assumed in public during their accession to power, notably, the creation of an inclusive ethno-political government that must include representatives of not only different ethnic and religious groups but also all key political movements.
I think it is necessary to expedite this process that we are supporting in every way. We sent our views and proposals to Kabul where they were received with understanding.
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