BEIJING - Afghanistan will need international support and cooperation to help it restore domestic peace and stability following the withdrawal of international forces from the country, a top Afghan legislator said on Sunday in Kunming, capital of China's southwest Yunnan Province.
Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi, Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga (House of People), National Assembly of Afghanistan, admitted the lack of equipment for the country's armed forces amid foreign interference could undermine the Islamic Republic's fragile achievements -- such as having an elected president and parliament, constitution, establishment of media press and gender equality -- in the post-9/11 decade.
In his message during the High-Level Dialogue, a constituent part of the International Day of Peace 2013 commemoration and China-South Asia Peace and Development Forum, Ibrahimi hailed China's assistance, referring to the nation "as a good neighbor, and economic as well as political power." China has always had a good relationship with Afghanistan.
The 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States brought Afghanistan to the world's attention. The globe was shocked by the terror as the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York seemed clear proof that the South Asian country was in fact a terrorist nest.
Ibrahimi said he was aware of the lingering bias, but mostly feared Afghanistan "would become a battlefield or a global problem" if peace and stability failed to be restored in the country as coalition forces are leaving.
Afghanistan's upcoming 2014 presidential election is widely interpreted as a pivotal point that will determine the future of the country.
"Many of the battles that took place today, all in the name of ensuring peace, security and stability, were not justified," said Ibrahimi.
The UN chose "Education for Peace" as the theme for this year's International Day of Peace, largely in recognition of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, whose campaign for the right to education made her a Taliban target.
Ibrahimi said there were still "countless Malalas" across Afghanistan, with continuing wars and conflicts claiming lives on a daily basis. This dire picture makes the education on peace for the younger generations even more imperative, as to ensure people to live together in harmony, far away from war. (Agencies)