WASHINGTON: The United States and major European nations urged Afghanistan’s neighbours and other Muslim-majority states to cooperate in protecting the interests of the Afghan people.

In a joint statement issued in Washington, they also urged Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to engage “regularly with other political and civil society leaders in a sincere dialogue that leads to an inclusive political system in which the rights of all Afghans are respected”.

The signatories include the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and the US whose special envoy for Afghanistan met in Brussels on April 5.

Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Afghanistan, also attended the meeting, which included technical sessions with the World Bank and Unicef.

Russia recognises Taliban official as charge d’affaires in Moscow

The meeting “highlighted the need for the neighbours of Afghanistan, the countries of the region, other Muslim-majority countries and all international partners to cooperate in Afghanistan with the interest of the Afghan people in mind”.

Such an engagement should focus on “alleviating their (Afghans) humanitarian and economic situation, meeting their basic needs, and promoting their human rights”.

The statement came two days after Russia officially recognised a Taliban official Jamal Garwal as Afghanistan’s Charge d’affaires in Moscow. In Washington, the move is seen as part of a Russian plan to break increasing isolation in the international community caused by its Feb 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The statement condemned the Taliban’s March 23 decision to continue denying Afghan girls the ability to attend secondary education, which contradicts the Taliban’s assurances to the Afghan people and to the international community.

The statement emphasised that “the type and scope of international donor assistance” to Afghanistan will depend, among other things, on the right and ability of girls to attend equal education at all levels. At an international humanitarian pledging conference on March 31, organised raised 2.23 billion euros and nearly two thirds (1.42bn euros) of this came from the combined pledges of the EU member states, Norway, the UK and the US.

The statement reaffirmed that progress towards normalised relations between the Taliban and the international community will depend mostly on the Taliban’s actions and their delivery on commitments and obligations to the Afghan people and to the international community.

The statement also expressed concern over restrictions on freedom of opinion and freedom of expression, notably through media crackdowns, the increasing restrictions on broadcasters, journalists and media workers, particularly restrictions on women working in the media, as well as unjust detentions of journalists, and the prohibition on some international media outlets within Afghanistan.

The participating nations raised the importance of a genuine and credible inclusive political process in Afghanistan with the meaningful participation of women and religious groups and minorities, which “leads to national reconciliation and broad-based and representative governance; emphasised that an inclusive and representative government is crucial for lasting peace and stability in the country”.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2022