how Russia intends to interact with the West on the Afghan issue – RT in Russian
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow is open for cooperation with Washington, Brussels, as well as with the North Atlantic Alliance on the Afghan issue. However, according to him, NATO partners bear the key responsibility for the restoration of the republic. The minister recalled that NATO troops have been in the country for the past 20 years, “building a state that does not exist.” According to experts, Moscow’s readiness to cooperate with Western partners in Afghanistan and Russia’s national interests, since the situation in the country largely depends on the situation in the Central Asian countries located in the Russian Federation. At the same time, as analysts note, ignoring the Afghan problem by Western states can lead to rampant terrorism and drug trafficking.
Moscow is open to cooperation with Washington, Brussels, as well as with the North Atlantic Alliance on the Afghan issue, but a key responsibility for the restoration of the NATO state. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a meeting with members of the Association of European Businesses in Russia.
“We are open to cooperation with the United States, the European Union and NATO, saying that NATO countries, of course, bear an important responsibility for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. They have been there for 20 years, building a state that does not exist, ”the minister replied, answering a question about the prospects for interaction between the Russian Federation and its western partners in Afghanistan.
Also on the topic
“The world is forced to deal with a heap of problems”: what the 20-year presence of the United States and its allies in Afghanistan led to
On October 7, 2001, the military operation of the United States and its allies began in Afghanistan. The American authorities called her goal …
Lavrov agrees that stability in the territory of its Central Asian neighbors is very important for Moscow.
“We will now hold the so-called Moscow format in Moscow – these are all the Central Asian countries, Iran, China, Pakistan, India, the USA, Russia and the Afghans themselves. This is a step towards the preparation of an international conference, which is already being announced, which should consider the issue of reconstruction in Afghanistan, ”the diplomat said.
The Russian Foreign Minister also recalled the principled position of Moscow, which opposes the transfer of military infrastructure from Afghanistan or other military infrastructure in the Central Asian republics with the aim of using, if necessary, “over-the-horizon strikes on Afghanistan” that could turn these countries into a “target for terrorists”.
“It is necessary to fight by completely different methods,” Lavrov said.
-
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
-
AP
-
© Kirill Kudryavtsev
He also agrees that “those who cooperated with specific people should be responsible for the fate of the goods.”
“Now many are trying to persuade Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan: take bills for a couple of months, and then we will take them for ourselves, we need to issue documents for them. If they have been cooperating with Western countries for many years – with the Americans and others – is it really necessary to draw up documents for two months? This is not a very correct thing, ”the minister said.
Political context
Earlier, Lavrov is going to emphasize that Moscow cannot be held responsible for possible migration crises caused by the actions of the West.
“When the European Union realized that it was a burden (illegal migrants. – RT) is too heavy for him, he began to urge everyone else to share the burden of responsibility for the fate of these migrants. “We are not going to share the burden of responsibility for something that was not only not supported by us,” Lavrov told reporters following a general meeting of foreign ministers, defense ministries and secretaries of the Security Councils of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Let us remind you that the European Union is organizing an international forum. According to Brussels, the solution to the migration crisis “must be international”, since the consequences of the situation in Afghanistan are global.
Also on the topic
“The burden of responsibility for this on Washington”: Lavrov on the economic problems of Afghanistan
On Wednesday, October 6, negotiations between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir took place in Moscow …
It is worth noting that the risks of a new migration crisis and the threat of a terrorist threat increased after the United States rapidly evacuated its troops from Afghanistan. The withdrawal from the first reports was also reported by other countries of the Western coalition.
As Lavrov noted on September 25, the hasty withdrawal of troops from the United States and other NATO countries “was carried out without understanding the consequences.” According to him, there are many weapons left in Afghanistan.
“Apparently, we all need to make sure that these weapons are not used for non-constructive purposes,” the Russian minister said.
He also recalled that the Taliban * proclaimed their “determination to fight extremism, terrorism, including IS ** and Al-Qaeda ***, not to project instability on their neighbors.”
-
Kabul
-
AP
-
© Felipe Dana
As Lavrov admitted, the most important thing now is “to keep these promises.” He added that the top priority for Moscow is to prevent the spread of extremism to neighboring countries and terrorist threats to the territory.
“We will in every possible way support the resolve of the Taliban, which they declared, to fight ISIS and other terrorist groups, to ensure that it is embodied in practical steps,” the head of the diplomatic department said.
“The role of the Russian Federation can hardly be overestimated”
According to experts, the Russian side cooperates with the United States, the EU and NATO on Afghanistan depends on the situation in the Islamic republic and the situation in the countries of Central Asia, which are located near the borders of Russia.
“Moscow has tremendous influence on the region, it has close ties with the Central Asian states. It is thanks to the help of military transport that Tajikistan is able to fulfill the function of some kind of barrier against the terrorist threat, trade and the wave of collision. The role of the Russian Federation in negotiations with partners on the Afghan issue can hardly be overestimated. Russia provides its mediator for stabilization processes in the regions ”.
At the same time, he notes that it will not be easy for Moscow to negotiate with Washington and NATO on the Afghan issue.
“As far as NATO is concerned, Moscow has very complicated relations with the bloc, and it can be said that there is no coordination of the parties’ actions. – explained the expert.
Also on the topic
“Payment for other people’s geopolitical ambitions”: why in Europe they called a mistake in bringing US troops into Afghanistan
More than 40% of Europeans believe that the introduction of American troops into Afghanistan was a mistake. This is evidenced by the survey data, …
According to him, the complexity of the situation lies in the fact that it is the United States that should bear the main responsibility for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, since because of their actions the situation in the Islamic republic is now close to catastrophic.
“The United States of America stood for democratic values in Afghanistan,” invested in the Afghan war for 20 years, and had a colossal military presence there. However, they never built democracy there. At the same time, the United States is accustomed to the fact that they are the dividends from the successful, from their point of view, steps of the collective West, but for some reason the consequences of the failure should be disentangled by the entire international community, ”the expert explained.
In turn, the head of the group of strategic assessments of the situational analysis of the IMEMO RAS EAT. Primakov Sergei Utkin noted that the current situation in Afghanistan is the result of the activities of not only the United States, but also NATO. At the same time, Western countries may try to shift responsibility for what is happening in the republic onto Russia and other states, the analyst said.
“Their commitments to the Afghan people of the United States of America and the Alliance States.” And for other countries that were involved in the Afghan campaign, it may turn out to be somewhat forgetful about what is happening in the republic. However, they will still have to learn how to work with refugees, including integrating them into their society. It is the migration issue that is the theme that maximally unites all sides of the process on Afghanistan. “A region that is extremely not indifferent to Russia,” the analyst notes in an interview with RT.
-
Withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan
-
Reuters
-
© United States Army / Master Sgt. Alex Burnett
In addition, one of the most pressing issues is the formation of a policy in relation to those who really control the situation in Afghanistan, Utkin said.
“Dialogue between different decision-making centers represented by Russia, the USA, the EU and NATO is inevitable. All these parties have such a need. Despite the contradictions on various issues, it is necessary to coordinate actions on the Afghan problem. Russia has advanced quite far in its dialogue with the Taliban. And this is a kind of launching pad that allows us to attract others to join these negotiations to one degree or another. It is about finding a common language and identifying red lines that cannot be crossed, ”the expert concluded.
* “Taliban” – the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of February 14, 2003.
** “Islamic State” (IS) – the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.
*** “Al-Qaeda” – the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 02.14.2003.