Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk
KABUL: EU Foreign Policy Chief, Federica Mogherini said Tuesday they were awaiting preliminary results of Afghanistan’s presidential election to be announced. Addressing reporters after the EU Council of Foreign Affairs, she said the EU discussed post-presidential election situation in Afghanistan.
“We are still waiting for the preliminary results to be announced, but we are stressing our determination to accompany an Afghan-owned and an Afghan-led process for negotiation that we hope can start soon between the government and the Taliban…”
The European Union (EU) high representative and vice-president also hoped the stalled US-Taliban talks would resume soon to prepare the launch of a genuine intra-Afghan peace process with direct negotiations between the government and Taliban.
Mogherini said: “We would be more than ready to support this process from the very beginning, as well as an agreement in case and when it is reached.”
When asked about political vacuum in Afghanistan after elections and NATO being a brain-dead alliance, the EU high representative said: “I will not comment on NATO. I never comment on other organisations, you know that. And normally, I am not nervous as a human being, otherwise I cannot do this job. But indeed, we discussed the situation after the elections.”
“We might have the paradox of having probably had the best elections ever in Afghan history and still some doubt about some obvious shortcomings and the long time it takes to announce results.”
She said the important thing they discussed was when the preliminary election results would be announced and hoped to see in the Afghan political landscape a responsible attitude, accepting results, uniting forces.
“Because what we have discussed today is this nervousness we have that if the election results are not accepted or are questioned in a significant manner and this creates turmoil, this could only benefit those that have been not investing in a democratic process in Afghanistan and weaken the perspective for a legitimate government to participate to peace negotiations.”
She said they would like to see political forces joining efforts in view of a proper formal peace process to be launched between a legitimate government following the elections.
“In this, we see a role for the European Union. The Afghans see a role for the European Union, because we have no hidden agendas. We have an interest only in peace, security and stability and rights for the Afghan people.”
She said they had presented five-point plan a few months ago that was still valid and was still on the table for Afghan people to know that the European Union was ready to accompany the peace process.
“We know very well that even in case of a peace agreement signed between the government and the Taliban – and we are very far from even initiating the formal talks – we know that this would probably not even be enough, because different layers of the Afghan society would need to be involved in a very inclusive process.”
