Statement by Mr. Vladimir Safronkov, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations at the Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan
June 21, 2016
First of all, we would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Nicholas Haysom, for his comprehensive briefing on the situation in Afghanistan and for his courageous work as Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). We listened closely to the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mr. Mahmoud Saikal.
For many years now, developments in the security situation in Afghanistan continue to be the subject of our extreme concern. Unfortunately, the situation is going from bad to worse. We fear that the armed opposition and terrorist groups will this year pursue their efforts to seize strategically important towns and gain control over large swathes of the country’s territory. The Taliban movement, having announced the start of its spring offensive, is systematically carrying out high-profile attacks in various parts of Afghanistan, and most of them are against civilian populations. The series of terrorist attacks that took place on 20 June in various parts of the country is further evidence of this fact. I would ask Ambassador Saikal to convey our sincere condolences to the Government and the people of Afghanistan.
We are particularly concerned about the increase in the number of members of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the attempts of that group to absorb other armed opposition groups, mainly in the north of Afghanistan. It is our hope that the future leadership of UNAMA, in particular the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Yamamoto, will pay careful attention to this dangerous phenomenon.
We support the Government’s approach to achieving national reconciliation. We are ready to support progress in the negotiations process, including being flexible on the possible softening of sanctions set up by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), on the Taliban, if it is not contrary to Afghanistan’s national interests.
We welcome the appointment of the country’s leading religious figure, Mr. Gilani, to the Head of the High Peace Council. We hope that, with his participation, the national reconciliation process will be given renewed dynamism.
We take note of the Afghan Government’s intention to develop a dialogue with the armed opposition. We support any efforts made in that regard, but we are convinced that national reconciliation will be lasting only when it takes on a genuinely national character.
The main challenge in terms of reconciliation means involving the Taliban movement in the peace talks, but that has not yet been achieved. The Quadrilateral Coordination Group on the Afghan Peace and Reconciliation Process needs to organize direct talks between the Government and the Taliban, although the important decisions that have already been taken have not, it would seem, led to any significant results. We call on the armed opposition to rise to the level of State responsibility for the fate of Afghanistan and its people, end its military activities, stop its reprisals and acts of terrorism and enter into a significant, substantive dialogue with the country’s legitimate authorities.
Russia is ready to establish constructive cooperation with the Afghan leadership in order to support stability and an independent path forward for Afghanistan, so that the country can be free from terrorism and the drug threat.
We take note of the world’s growing understanding of the important regional dimension of settling the conflict in Afghanistan, as well as the increased number of regional platforms that focus on Afghan issues. We believe it is important that, in the contex of such activities, regional stakeholders themselves should have a decisive role to play.
We are convinced that efforts to support Afghanistan should mainly be undertaken using the structures that have proved their worth, for example, first of all, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), whose stakeholders, observers or partners in dialogue include practically all of the countries of the region, including Afghanistan. We welcome Afghanistan’s official application to become a member of the SCO. We actively support steps by the Afghan Government, to which Ambassador Saikal referred, to establish economic cooperation and integration with regional neighbours.
We see considerable potential in enhancing counter-terrorism and anti-narcotics cooperation between Afghanistan and the SCO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. However, in this context we must say that the new NATO Resolute Support Mission has not yet achieved its declared goals. The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, which is courageously fighting the terrorist threat, is suffering major losses as it counters the opposition, as well as experiencing serious difficulties in effectively pushing back the opposition’s onslaught. We take note of the decision of the United States Administration to halt its withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, which reflects a recognition that the security problem has not yet been resolved.
It must not be forgotten that Russia voted in favour of resolution 2189 (2014), on launching the Resolute Support operation, based on the belief that the North Atlantic alliance would report to the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan in the context of that operation. NATO and the United States of America have a special responsibility for training the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and ensuring its effectiveness and security in Afghanistan. Another area of work is to ensure that no threat to third-party countries should come from Afghan territory. That said, the situation in this area — and I will say this directly — is alarming. An example of this is the situation in northern districts of Afghanistan, where there is a growing presence of foreign terrorist fighters and an increase in the activities of ISIL.
The drug problem poses a serious threat to the stability of Afghanistan itself, its neighbours in the region and the world at large. In addition to the direct harm it causes, drug production provides substantial and determinative financial support for terrorism. In that context, we believe it is necessary to step up efforts by the international community to fight drug trafficking from Afghan territory. We have no illusions about the 2015 statistics showing a significant drop in opium production in Afghanistan. We are concerned at forecasts of a significant increase in the poppy harvest this year.
The key to improved stability of the situation in Afghanistan is a militarily capable Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, which should on its own be able to ensure peace and stability in its own country. In February, Russia provided free delivery of weapons and munitions to meet the needs of Afghanistan’s security forces. We will continue to help Kabul in training members of the structures of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces through the relevant Russian services, particularly since our two countries historically enjoy a high level of cooperation and mutual assistance in these areas. We will continue that work both bilaterally and through cooperation with international partners, despite the changes in the approach of the United States, NATO and many Western countries to implementing, together with the Russian Federation, joint projects to support Afghanistan.
The task of consolidating the efforts of the main external players remains the primary precondition for resolving the main problems in Afghanistan. Competition over areas of influence should be eliminated immediately, as should involvement in domestic affairs. We need to combine our efforts to ensure that there is national reconciliation in the country, that we eliminate the problem of terrorism and that we help Afghanistan back onto the path of sustainable development. We particularly stress the fact that the situation can be resolved only through good-neighbourliness, open international and regional cooperation and cooperation with the legitimate Government of Afghanistan, while respecting that State’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
