Afghanistan reconstruction issues discussed in Istanbul process
On December 9, 2019, the eighth Asia-Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference of the “Heart of Asia” Istanbul Process themed “Peace, Partnership and Prosperity” was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey and Afghanistan co-chaired the event.
During the conference, participants exchanged views on regional security issues in context to Afghanistan. In particular, the head delegates of the participating countries and those countries which support the process noted the contribution made by their states to the intra-Afghan peace process. They also proposed solutions to ending the longstanding war in Afghanistan.
The Kazakh delegation was led by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Shakhrat Nuryshev.
In his speech, Mr. Nuryshev pointed out that in over 28 years of independence, Kazakhstan has consistently advocated for close cooperation with regional neighbors which share a common history, culture and traditions.
Speaking at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2019, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev affirmed the commitment of Kazakhstan to continuing to provide support to the Afghan people.
The main goal of the event was to identify synergies among the efforts of key parties involved, especially international and regional organizations, in rebuilding Afghanistan.
It was also emphasized that a fundamental point is that Afghanistan should not be seen as a source of problems, but as a source of opportunities. Therefore, it is extremely important to integrate the economy of Afghanistan into the economy of its neighboring countries, including Central Asian states, by expanding cooperation as well as by investing and developing regional infrastructure, trade and transit transport projects.
Kazakhstan continues to provide technical and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan through bilateral and multilateral agreements. To date, Kazakhstan has provided Afghanistan with assistance worth more than $80 million.
In addition, $50 million was allocated for training 1,000 Afghan students in the leading universities of Kazakhstan under a program funded by the Kazakh government. Last October, the first group of female Afghan students arrived in Kazakhstan to study in universities under the trilateral cooperation program between the European Union, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with the support of the UNDP, aimed at Afghan women’s economic empowerment.
In his speech, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani emphasized that the support of the international community, particularly the countries in the region, is important for ensuring peace in Afghanistan and preventing the recurrence of conflicts. Direct negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government will be the key to political progress in Afghanistan.
President Ghani emphasized that in order to reduce risks and eliminate threats to the future of Afghanistan, issues such as the fight against corruption, regional and international relations and participation in national reforms, should remain a priority.
On behalf of the government and people of Afghanistan, President Ghani thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey for providing a platform for solving this process. The Istanbul Process in the Heart of Asia, an initiative led by President Erdogan, has an excellent track record. At the same time, the Afghan President separately thanked Kazakhstan for its contribution through investment and the development of regional infrastructure, trade and transit transport projects, as well as technical and humanitarian assistance.
The President of Afghanistan thanked Turkey and the countries hosting the previous meetings of the conference, as well as Tajikistan, which will hold the meeting next year.
President Ghani also appealed for support from the international community, primarily the USA, the European Union and the countries of the region, in order to ensure peace and avoid a recurrence of conflicts.
Noting the importance of a comprehensive ceasefire in Afghanistan, President Ghani emphasized the need to create a mechanism to prevent the recurrence of conflicts. A proposal was made to create a working group consisting of representatives of countries participating in the Istanbul process in the Heart of Asia, and an advisory group consisting of national security consultants and representatives of international organizations who come together in Kabul to decriminalize the peace process.
In his speech, Turkish President Erdogan noted that a significant part of the problems in South Asia occurs outside its borders and that people in this geographical region are often forced to deal with the negative consequences of events. In this regard, regional cooperation and solidarity are necessary in order to overcome the challenges facing the South Asian region and its immediate neighborhood.
Afghanistan is going through a sensitive period. As an international community, we must increase the material and investments that we have been making in Afghanistan for many years.
President Erdogan emphasized that during a critical period it is necessary to support Afghanistan in all areas, therefore meaning that terrorist organizations will not be allowed to find suitable conditions for staying in Afghanistan.
In addition, President Erdogan called on NATO countries to continue to support Afghanistan in increasing the capacity of the Afghan army and police, as well as supporting the development of Afghanistan in the economic, commercial and social spheres. President Erdogan further emphasized that the Afghan government should also fulfil its obligations, while the international community should adhere to its obligations to Afghanistan.
Summing up his speech, President Erdogan noted that the Istanbul Process has been an extremely useful platform for finding regional and local solutions in the face of these joint challenges. The Istanbul Process, which allows solving the problems of the region in the spirit of responsibility and solidarity, offers a unique regional model of cooperation in this direction.
Since the establishment of the Istanbul Process in Turkey, interested countries have made great efforts to strengthen the process, enhance its efficiency and increase its ability to solve problems. The platform brings together all concerned parties related to Afghanistan in political, decretory, economic and commercial aspects.
A commemorative photo was taken with the heads of foreign delegations at the end of the conference after the speech of President Erdogan.
Following the conference, the parties agreed to continue intra-Afghan peace talks, and a final declaration was adopted.