KABUL - An inclusive peace process, enjoying the overwhelming support of all Afghans, is imperative for achieving the desired result, says the foreign minister. .
Salahuddin Rabbani, addressing a briefing on the Geneva Conference in New York on Monday, sought global support for Afghanistan’s ownership and leadership of the ​peace drive.
“We will continue to defend our territorial integrity and sovereignty against all terrorist and extremist groups, which are targeting our civilian population and seeking to prevent our security,” he vowed.
The Geneva Conference would be about reorienting the nature of Kabul’s collaboration with international partners to advance implementation of self-reliance and reform agenda, the minister said.
Building on past reform efforts would remain a key priority for the remainder of the Transformation Decade, he said, calling sustained focus on inclusive and transparent elections a fundamental need.
The conference would take stock of advances in the area of regional connectivity -- the most notable achievements of the national unity government -- over the past four years, he added.
Rabbani added economic ventures such as the CASA 1000, TAPI and a five-nation railway project, which were once just a concept, were turning into reality.
The minister claimed air corridors with India, Kazakhstan and Turkey had already led to a substantial increase in Afghanistan’s exports. Additional air corridors with other regional countries are being developed.
In early December, the 8th ministerial meeting of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process will be held in Turkey -- an opportunity to follow up on Geneva commitments related to specific economic regional projects.
“We look forward to renewed commitments of the international community to further elevate the economic cooperation agenda to new heights, under our Afghan-led RECCA and Heart of Asia Processes and other initiatives,” Rabbani continued.
In Geneva, Rabbani said: “We will get a picture of the extent to which our international partners adjusted the nature of assistance delivery so that its impact is more visible and tangible in helping to improve the lives of our people.”
The situation in Afghanistan had evolved over the past several years and has the capacity and role of the government in assuming leadership of the security, economic and governance pillars.
He believed the new phase of cooperation between Afghanistan and the international community would be of special importance in the context of our long-term partnership.
The temporary ceasefire with the Taliban was only a glimpse of hope, but a development nonetheless, he noted, Afghanistan remained far from its intended objective, he explained.
“Geneva is an opportunity to integrate regional and international support behind our peace plan, presented in Kabul in February. We welcome the support of all partners for our peace efforts through various initiatives...”  (Pajhwok)