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Here is complete transcript of former deputy foreign minister, Ersahd Ahmadi’s remarks in Intra-Afghan Conference, held in Doha of Qatar from 7th to 8th July.
In the name of God!
With greetings to the distinguished attendees and the participants of today’s meeting, at the outset I would like to express my gratitude from two friendly states—Germany and Qatar for arranging such an important and historic events.
Like all respectable participants, I also hope that the process of this important and historic meeting, will be an agreement on how to achieve peace and security in our dear country, Afghanistan.
Fortunately, today all aspects in general and the Afghan masses in particular, not only want peace and security, but also have become more promising and determined for its restoration than any other time.
Dear participants.
Today’s Afghanistan is utterly changed from what it was in 1990, and it’s necessary for us to look at modern Afghan society based on facts on the ground. There are many new and undeniable trends and if have a glance in today’s Afghan society, and also the personalities that are here today, can be considered as a good example of it.
From civil rights to freedom of speech, child rights, women’s rights and human rights, familiar with the principles and standards of citizenship rights, women’s access to education and the right to work and the right to economic, political and social activities, respect for repression and the effectiveness of public opinion in political processes, are something that cannot be ignored or thinking of lowering it.
The result of peace must be in preferred to expand and strengthen these opportunities so that our people across the country, can enjoy all human rights.
In our today’s society, Taliban group is also an irrefutable fact, and their presence in today’s meeting reflect this. Therefore, no party can deny or ignore each presence in today’s Afghan society.
Dear participants,
From my point of view, to create a common future, the principles as a following are fundamental:
1. Reeducation in violence and a comprehensive ceasefire can be considered as first step to be entered into formal debates. On the one hand, it increases the people’s confidence over seriousness of negotiations and, on the other hand, prevents the casualties and consequences that war and violence bring out.
2. To achieve peace and find a comprehensive and inclusive solution, neither it shows defeat of one side nor victory of the other! But these are all aspects of victory.
3. The diversity of Afghan society must be accepted as an irrefutable principle, and rather it should be used as an opportunity. Respecting the diversity of the society and referring to the will of the nation is the only solution to the problems that exist in the country and in the future this principle and the right to decide upon the will of the nation, must be institutionalized.
4- The already existing institutions that have been established in the past 18 years, should be further strengthened in order to provide better service and remain responsive.
5- Partnership and participation of the Taliban group in political processes and structures, are key and important issue that should be addressed simultaneously with the inclusion of the Taliban in their involvement in social, political, cultural, security and economic activities.
6- Managing quarrels at transition stage is not an easy task. Several decades of war, especially the wars of the past two decades, have led to conflicts to different corners and parts of the country. These disagreements must be subdued and seriously prevented from its re-emergence that would break peace opportunity that has been created at the moment.
7- The solution is to shorten the hands of foreigners from interfering in our country’s internal affairs, and rather to provide ground for regional cooperation instead of competition. Promoting regional cooperation that could help bring welfare to the people, could be one of the most important guarantors of peace and security at the national and regional levels.
8- Afghanistan can’t live in isolation. We must maintain equal and mutual beneficial relations with the whole world. And I call upon the world to help us in reaching a durable stability.
Respectful participants.
Many of us come from Kabul. A capital city that recently witnessed a huge blast. The explosion had taken many innocent lives of our compatriots. And severely others, including children received injures and are in Kabul hospitals, struggling between life and death.
War, whether in Kabul, in provinces or in rural areas, has always have a very bad consequence, which the most unfortunate of it, is the civilian casualties, and the destruction of infrastructures.
However, now we have reached a stage where civilian and military casualties, from both sides, are not acceptable and tolerable. We must feel each other’s pain, and have mutual sympathy and shared understanding of each other’s.
The intensification of war, either form the Taliban or from NATO and Afghan forces, have severely damage the peace process that needs to be halted in immediate move.
I hope that today’s meeting would be end of preliminary discussion and entering to actual intra-Afghan negotiations to bring the long desire of peace and tranquility to the people of Afghanistan.
At the end, I am grateful to the attention of the distinguished participants, and once again express my gratitude from organizers of this historic meeting.
