During a meeting of national security advisers from seven countries here on Wednesday, his opening statements – which lasted about 20 minutes – gave a window into how he framed his concerns and positions regarding Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
The meeting, chaired by NSA Ajit Doval, was attended by Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani (Iran), Nikolai P Patrushev (Russia), Karim Masimov (Kazakhstan), Marat Mukanovich Imankulov (Kyrgyzstan), Nasrulo Rahmatzon Mahmudjoda (Tajikistan), Charivamirat Kakali. (Turkmenistan) and Viktor Makhmudov (Uzbekistan).
The NSAs of Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were vocal about their concerns over “terrorism” as they explicitly mentioned the issue in their opening statements. The Russian NSA Petrushev spoke about the “challenges and threats posed by the Afghan region”.
The NSAs of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan did not mention the word terrorism at all in their initial statements.
Iranian NSA Shamkhani said India has a “great role in Afghanistan”. He thanked not only the countries that had attended the meeting, but also those who were invited but could not make it – with reference to Pakistan and China. He was the only one to do so.
Iran was also the most vocal about the situation in Afghanistan, as Shamkhani said there are issues that have “destroyed Afghanistan”, and the difficulties that the past 20 years have brought.
Today, he said, Afghanistan is “unfortunately covered in terrorism, poverty and misery”. Basically, in Afghanistan, he said, there is “just a crisis, a crisis of migration and refugees”. He was referring to the thousands of Afghan refugees, especially from the Hazara minority, who migrate to Iran.
Shamkhani emphasized the issue of “inclusive government”, as he said that the solution would come “only through the formation of an inclusive government with the positive participation of all ethnic groups”.
Russian NSA Petrushev, who listed various diplomatic procedures on Afghanistan, including the special G-20 summit, said the Moscow format “retains its significant potential”. “We also believe that such communication mechanisms should not copy each other’s work, but complement each other,” he cautioned. Doval heeded to this suggestion after Patrushev spoke.
The Russian NSA spoke about the “fastest restoration of long-term peace” in Afghanistan and said the meeting would help discuss “practical measures to counter the challenges and threats posed by the Afghan region”.
He was the only NSA to mention talks with the Taliban. At the October 20 Moscow talks, he said, they laid a “good foundation” for determining the position of our countries with regard to the development of “negotiations with the Taliban”, as well as “the practical use of our efforts, the efforts of all stakeholders”. to coordinate”. of the area”.
“I hope that today we will be able to take another step forward in expanding the general measures to ensure national security and maintain regional stability,” he said.
Tajikistan’s NSA Mahmudzoda flagged “concerns about the long border with Afghanistan”, which was “complicated” and the current situation “creates additional risks and potential for the development of drug trafficking, terrorism and criminality”.
He said that Afghanistan “may face a real humanitarian catastrophe, especially given the upcoming winter, so we need to find solutions to provide all the needs for the population of Afghanistan”. He, along with Kazakhstan’s NSA, was most vocal in expressing the urgency of the situation in Afghanistan.
Kazakh NSA Massimov said the social and economic condition of Afghans was “deteriorating”, and the country was facing a “humanitarian crisis”. “It is necessary to increase humanitarian aid for the Afghan people. The stabilization of Afghanistan requires the efforts of the entire international community. It is extremely important to initiate concrete action,” he said.
He also flagged the issue of terrorism: “Kazakhstan watches very carefully, the threats, the challenges that are coming from Afghanistan … Terrorist organizations are intensifying their activities. We are very concerned about the operation of Central Asian fighters. Huh.”
Kyrgyz NSA Imankulov also called it a “very difficult problem in our region” and noted “the activity of terrorist organizations in our region”. He also advocated “joint activities to fight extremism and terrorism”, as well as “the people of Afghanistan should be helped”.
Turkmenistan’s NSA Amavov said that “what happened in a very short time” in Afghanistan, they need to work together “to create peace in the region”.
Uzbek NSA Makhmudov said that Afghanistan is in a very “difficult situation” and they have to find some possible solutions to bring peace to Afghanistan and the region.
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