Statement by Ambassador Vassily A. Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, at the Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan
We thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Mr. Tadamichi Yamamoto, for his analysis of the processes taking place in Afghanistan.
We listened closely to the statements delivered by the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mr. Mahmoud Saikal, and by Mr. Bakhtiar. We concur with many of the assessments contained in the relevant quarterly report of the Secretary-General (S/2018/824). For our part, we wish to note the following.
We are profoundly alarmed at the security situation in Afghanistan. The Taliban movement controls nearly half of the country, periodically seizing new districts, including in the north. We note that its fighters have a capacity to stage large-scale, coordinated and wellprepared operations. A stark example of this fact are the days-long attacks against the strategically important Ghazni province, the large-scale attacks against Ghor, Farah and Sari Pul, and the difficult situations that have unfolded in Paktia, Helmand, Faryab, Samangan, Herat and Kunduz.
Against that backdrop, we are especially troubled by the state of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, which incur unprecedented losses on a daily basis. Our attention remains closely focused on the surge of terrorist activity by the Afghan wing of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), whose ranks are growing largely due to foreign fighters with battlefield experience from Syria and Iraq. According to our sources, the number of ISIL adherents may be as high as 10,000. The danger is further compounded by their growing ideological, propagandistic and recruitment activity, which makes skillful use of information and communication technology.
Despite reports about fighters being routed and their partial surrender to Government forces in Jawzjan in August, they still retain footholds in provinces of the north and northeast, from where they seek to gain traction in the country. We see a threat both to our borders and to those of our Central Asian neighbhours. The Taliban also sporadically joins the fight against ISIL, largely in the north and east of Afghanistan, which points to the fact that the ISIL threat is recognized both by the authorities in Kabul and by the Taliban. We must stress that the fight against the terrorists in Afghanistan would be far more effective if regional and international efforts were combined.
With respect to Afghanistan and other conflicts, what remains relevant is our initiative to establish a wide-ranging counter-terrorist coalition. It is necessary to shed light on the situation regarding the unmarked helicopter flights in northern Afghanistan, which provide both weaponry and munitions to ISIL adherents.
We are surprised by the fact that there has been no response to those events, including from the command of the NATO contingent stationed there. We believe that attempts to sweep this issue under the rug are not acceptable. We are troubled by reports about attempts by the Afghan wing of ISIL to reach agreement with the Taliban movement and other organizations to coordinate operations. Moreover, contacts are being strengthened between ISIL and representatives of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement. In the light of the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, we deem it necessary to proactively leverage the Security Council’s counter-terrorism sanctions mechanisms.
We advocate the placement of additional barriers to pre-empt terrorist activity in that country. It is important to specifically emphasize the sanctioning of individuals and entities who are complicit in ISIL operations. We are troubled at the unbridled growth in narcotics production. Narcotics provide significant financial support for terrorists in Afghanistan. In that connection, we are confounded at the fact that the issue of Afghan narcotics is completely disregarded in the final observations of the report. We believe that it is important for this to be prioritized. It is the thrust of our practical measures, including through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
The Russian Federation spares no effort in supporting the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in that regard, including providing regular assistance to the UNODC-led Paris Pact Initiative, which seeks to comprehensively prevent Afghan opium production, the regional UNODC programme for Afghanistan and neighbouring countries and the alternative development programme in Badakhshan province. We are pleased at the implementation of our initiative to train narcotics police officers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asian countries, as well as the joint Domodedovo project with Japan to form a canine unit for Afghanistan, which we trust will serve as a key tool in the fight against narcotics in the country.
We note with regret that the 17-year, large-scale military presence of NATO and United States troops has not served to stabilize the military and political situation in the country. What is clear is that the approach of using force to exert pressure has not brought about the desired results; it only escalates the conflict. We believe that there is no military solution to the crisis in Afghanistan. The only way to resolve the crisis is through pan-Afghan consensus achieved through political and diplomatic means. That is especially urgent at the current juncture on the eve of elections, which should serve as a step towards the unification of the country.
We support the policy of Kabul and the country’s social and political forces to achieve that end. We believe that negotiations need to be conducted under the leadership of the Afghan people themselves. We reaffirm our willingness to lend our fullest support. We welcome international and regional efforts to assist Afghanistan in establishing a peace process. However, it is paramount that there be no competition in that regard: it is not about building fiefdoms.
We must instead build an optimal platform for international support for establishing a peace process in Afghanistan by engaging the stakeholders. Such a vision is advanced by the Moscow format of consultations with Afghanistan, a meeting of which we plan to hold with the participation of representatives of the Taliban, following the formulation of a consolidated position on the matter in Kabul. We trust that the United States will be involved. The invitation still stands. We note the growing understanding worldwide of the importance of the regional context to any Afghan settlement. We note in particular the renewed SCOAfghanistan Contact Group.
We see sound potential for scaling up counter-narcotics engagement between Afghanistan and the CSTO. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) continues to play an important role in coordinating international assistance to Afghanistan. We commend the selfless and courageous efforts UNAMA personnel. Russia and Afghanistan are linked together by historical, friendly, open relations based on trust.
We genuinely hope to see swift stabilization in the country, for it to get back on track to sustainable development. On that basis, we stand ready to engage with Afghanistan and with regional and international partners.
