Afghanistan Facing 'Evolving' Challenges: Hekmat Karzai

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سه شنبه 7 ثور 1395 ساعت 17:17 آخرین به روز رسانی در سه شنبه 7 ثور 1395 ساعت 18:50 نوشته شده توسط TOLOnews.com

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Addressing the Senior Officials Meeting at the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process in New Delhi on Tuesday, Afghan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hekmat Khalil Karzai said despite gains made in the past 15 years, there are serious evolving security challenges that face Afghanistan.

Co-chaired by India and Afghanistan the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process is aimed at bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan.

India's Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai are co-chairing the meeting.

Addressing delegates at the meeting Karzai said India, as a strategic partner of Afghanistan, "continues to play a pivotal role in supporting our shared efforts to make steady progress in various areas, including: security, economic and social development, and cultural cooperation. India's multifaceted assistance has reached every coer of Afghanistan either through their signature infrastructure projects or small development programs."

He said despite Afghanistan's gains of the past 15 years, there are serious evolving security challenges that face the country. He said these challenges need to be addressed through sincere, results-oriented regional cooperation.

"We strongly believe that the Heart of Asia Process remains the most relevant platform, through which we should cooperate to address the threats of violent extremism and terrorism posed by such terrorist and militant networks," he said adding these networks were Daesh, al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taieba, The East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Taliban groups, the Haqqani Network, and others.

"These threats, which also feed on the global challenge of narcotics production in Afghanistan, continue to impede the implementation of key regional economic projects that would benefit every nation in our region and beyond," he said.

He also said one of the biggest challenges in the region was not just the threats facing the region but a consistent lack of inter-state regional cooperation to address those threats.

"A lack of will on the part of certain regional states to act in unity with Afghanistan and other cooperative Heart of Asia countries has emboldened our common enemies, who daily undermine the peace, stability, and prosperity of all of us. This dangerous, complex situation needs our collective and concerted efforts to find a durable solution," he said.

He said Afghanistan knows that from the recent terrorist attack in Kabul, which killed over 60 and injured more than 300 Afghans, that "unless these acts of aggression through sponsorship of terrorism end, our peace efforts would not deliver results".

"Despite the daily acts of terrorism that kill and maim scores of our innocent civilians, Afghanistan has repeatedly demonstrated our willingness to engage in peace talks, in order to end years of violence brutally imposed on our society," he said.

He went on to say that the objective of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) was to bring the Taliban groups to the negotiating table. "Since that may not be possible at this stage, we expect members of the QCG to take all necessary actions against those groups deemed irreconcilable, as agreed in the QCG Roadmap. At the same time, Afghanistan will explore all available multilateral and regional channels to deal with the existing security challenges."

Meanwhile, India on Tuesday asked Pakistan to crack down on terrorist groups operating from its soil during talks between their foreign secretaries, the first high-level contact between the two sides since the January 2 attack on Pathankot airbase.

Indian media reported that India also sought "early and visible progress" in Pakistan's probe into the Pathankot attack and the trial of suspects charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks.

During talks with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry ahead of the Heart of Asia meeting, India's Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said Islamabad "cannot be in denial on the impact of terrorism on the bilateral relationship".

"Terrorist groups based in Pakistan targeting India must not be allowed to operate with impunity," Jaishankar was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the exteal affairs ministry.

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