Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC briefing on the Situation in Afghanistan
Madam Minister,
We are pleased to welcome you in your capacity as President of the UN Security Council.
We thank Ms. Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), for her assessment of the current situation in the country. The Russian Federation has consistently supported the work of UNAMA under your leadership within the framework of the tasks entrusted to the Mission. We take note of Kabul’s interest in developing contacts with you. We welcome the unwavering commitment of the United Nations to maintain its presence there and provide the necessary assistance to the people of Afghanistan. We have listened carefully to the statements by UN Women Executive Director Ms. Sima Bahous, and Ms. Mina. Frankly speaking, we are astonished at the format of the last briefing. It raises questions and, moreover, was not agreed upon with Council members. We were told that the civil society representative would be speaking via VTC. VTC stands for Video Teleconferencing. There was no video whatsoever in the chamber. Why should we believe in the authenticity of that audio presentation? Not to mention that this is an unprecedented case in the practice of the Council. We promise that we will come back to this issue.
Madam President,
We are pleased that the countries of the region have also been given the floor in the discussion today. We have taken note of the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan. We would like to point out the following.
Over the past three years since the Taliban came to power, despite the predictions of our Western colleagues about the imminent political and economic collapse of the country, Afghanistan has held out. In the face of unprecedented unilateral sanctions and a humanitarian crisis, the country, which for years lived off handouts from the international community, has not plunged into another civil war or turned into a black hole. However, given the scale of threats and the heap of problems accrued over the 20 years of war and left behind by the shameful flight of foreign troops, its people need our sustained assistance and support more than ever. At the same time, it is encouraging that the de facto authorities themselves have managed to soberly assess the situation and focus on strengthening regional cooperation and restoring social and economic potential. They are looking for their own path of independent development for Afghanistan without regard to western assistance.
The Russian Federation has consistently advocated for a realistic and comprehensive approach to Afghanistan, which should be based on objective analysis and a balanced assessment of the situation. It is imperative to have constructive cooperation within the international community on the Afghan issue. First and foremost, it means paying due regard for the needs of the Afghans themselves and rejecting one’s own narrow interests, as well as maintaining patient dialogue with the de facto Afghan authorities on a wide range of pressing problems, without blackmail or pressure. We see that the Taliban is still interested in developing such pragmatic interaction, which is borne out by their participation in the regular meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan in Doha on June 30th – July 1st. As the discussion there showed, regional players also share this approach. At the same time, it is obvious that any progress in the further development of dialog with the de facto authorities is hardly possible if certain western donors continue to be guided by the principle “it’s my way or the high way”, pinning all responsibility solely on the Taliban and insisting on the creation of additional conditions for and obstacles to the resumption of broad humanitarian assistance. However, we have long ceased to be surprised at this western tactics of identifying the guilty and shifting the burden of responsibility onto others’ shoulders. But this is a path to nowhere. It has nothing to do with real assistance in settling the Afghan problem. In the end, ordinary Afghans will once again become the victims of such manipulations and meaningless haggling.
We agree with the Secretary General's assessment of the difficult domestic political situation in Afghanistan. We remain particularly concerned about the ongoing security risks posed by the continued terrorist activity of the Afghan “wing” of ISIL. Despite the efforts being made by the de facto authorities, the terrorists are extending their influence in the country and are deliberately destabilizing the situation there by carrying out new terrorist attacks. Their tactics are clear to us, they just want to establish themselves as an alternative force and undermine stability in Afghanistan and the region. The victims of their high-profile terrorist attacks are representatives of religious and ethnic minorities, including women and children. The militants themselves make no bones about the fact that terrorist groups are funded from abroad, and that there are foreign terrorist fighters in their ranks. The ISIL fighters sometimes change tack, they are actively using social media to recruit new members and attract extra funding for their terrorist activities. Given the amount of weapons left behind by the western military in the country, the risk of these weapons falling into the hands of militants and subsequently spreading into the region and beyond is becoming increasingly real.
Terrorism is also closely linked to the drug problem It is clear that the ongoing Taliban's efforts alone are insufficient. What is needed here is comprehensive international and regional assistance, inter alia through the UNODC. Ensuring support for Afghan farmers also remains a crucial problem. A source of particular concern is production of synthetic drugs.
We are especially focused on the socio-economic situation in the country We note the efforts being made by the United Nations and regional organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. The dedicated work of humanitarian agencies and their staff is something that deserves our support. These people remain on the ground under any circumstances to help Afghan people. At the same time, we see that these steps, alas, are not sufficient. UN efforts to expand assistance beyond basic needs are still being blocked by a number of western donors who categorically reject any possibility to contribute to the country's development, refuse to rebuild schools and hospitals, build roads connecting provinces or cities to agricultural areas. Our country has been systematically providing targeted assistance to those in need in Afghanistan. We will continue to work actively on this track.
We are closely monitoring the development of the situation in the area of the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls. It is of particular significance given the recent additional bans, specifically the so-called morality law. We believe that the Afghan authorities need to build such a system of governance that will take into account the rights and needs of the entire population of the country. We also deem it important to form a genuinely inclusive government with the participation of all ethnic and political groups in the country.
Madam President,
The Russian Federation fully supports the right and aspirations of the Afghan people to live in a peaceful and prosperous country free of drugs and terrorism. This is the key to order and stability in the region. However, building a long-term lasting peace is not possible without patient interaction with the de facto authorities. There is no alternative to this path. This will lead to a swift breaking of the current impasse and the subsequent international reintegration of Afghanistan.
Thank you for your attention.
