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afghanistan Foreign Policy Outline
INDEX
Overview:
As a Muslim nation, Afghanistan is determined to become a member
of the family of pluralistic democracies; and a bridge between
the Islamic World and the West, by pursuing a multilateral , cooperative
and confident
Foreign Policy.
London Conference on Afghanistan, 31st of January 2006
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s diplomacy is based
on the fundamental beliefs, values and goals, which are anchored
in Articles 7 and 8 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan: The state shall regulate the foreign policy
of the country on the basis of preserving the independence,
national interests and territorial integrity as well as non-interference,
good neighborliness, mutual respect and equality of rights (article
8) . The state shall observe the United Nations Charter, inter-state
agreements, as well as international treaties to which Afghanistan
has joined, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights...(article
7)
In this critical moment of our history, Afghanistan has started
the process of reconstruction and democratization.
Parallel to the emerging partnership between Afghanistan and
the international community, Afghanistan’s foreign relations
have undergone major changes. Following the collapse of the
Taliban regime, the Afghan Government has begun a proactive
policy to strengthen and consolidate its relations with the
international community.
Afghanistan is determined not only to be a land-bridge between
Central Asia, the Sub-Continent and the Middle East, but also
a bridge between the Islamic world and the family of pluralistic
democracies. We recognize the difficulties for such an undertaking.
However, we remain confident with the support of our international
partners, we can indeed move in that direction.
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Our Neighbours:
We view regional countries, in particular our immediate neighbors
among the most important countries for Afghanistan. Because
of decades of war and bloodshed in the country, Afghanistan
lost its traditionally and conventionally balanced relations
with its neighbors. During recent troubled years it was often
treated as a sub-state entity, rather than an independent and
sovereign nation. Since the demise of the Taliban, the government
here has sought to change the dynamics of our relations with
our neighbors. We wanted to convey two messages to our neighbors:
Firstly, Afghanistan wants to be an equal partner; and secondly,
that Afghanistan wants to be the catalyst for regional cooperation. [return to index]
Regional Cooperation:
In an increasingly interdependent world, we see regional cooperation
as the best venue to reduce tension, resolve conflict and to
succeed in the competitive markets in our global village. Individual
nation-state can only survive and prosper only by integrating
into regional cooperation mechanisms. The model of the European
Union is an encouraging and inspiring one. In our view, replicating
the experience of the EU in our region is a huge challenge but
not an impossible task. In this context, it is important to
have a vision. We then try to work towards the attainment of
that vision by serious and sustained commitment, planning, and
efforts by all countries of the region.
The Afghan Foreign Minister at the Second Ministerial Meeting
of Central Asia Plus Japan Dialogue
6 th of June, Tokyo
Today, in Afghanistan, we have initiated some steps in that
direction. In December 2002, we succeeded in signing the “Kabul
Declaration on Good Neighborly Relations”, in which Afghanistan
and its neighbors reaffirmed their commitment to constructive
and supportive bilateral relationships based on the principles
of territorial integrity, mutual respect, friendly relations,
cooperation and non-interference in the internal affairs of
one another. Furthermore, we gained membership of the SAARC
and the CICA. [return to index]
Islamic World:
Strengthening our relations with the Islamic states constitutes
another priority for Afghanistan’s foreign policy. As
a Muslim country, we place special importance on our relations
with the rest of the Islamic countries.
We salute the resilience of the People of Palestine for their
unfailing efforts and patience for self-determination. Supporting
Palestinians’ rights, in accordance with the resolutions
of the Security Council of the United Nations, H.E. King Abdullah’s
Initiative and the “Roadmap” remains the official
policy of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan welcomes the formation of the “National Unity”
government In Iraq. After many years of hardship, the people
of Iraq deserve our full support. We are confident the new Government
of Iraq will work towards, peace, stability and national reconciliation.
Afghanistan views the Organization of the Islamic Conference
as one of the best venues to seek solution to many our challenges,
including underdevelopment, in particular in the fields of research
and education, inter and intra state conflicts, fanaticism,
and Islamophobia. [return to index]
United States:
We consider our strategic relations with the United States
of America as pivotal to our success in overcoming the legacy
of war and conflict in Afghanistan, and becoming a democratic
and prosperous nation. As the “Joint Declaration of the
United States-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership” confirms,
our relations with the United States of America is multifaceted.
It includes cooperation in the fields of security, development,
civil society, education, and regional as well as international
issues. [return to index]
United Nations:
We appreciate the important contribution of the United Nations
to international peace, stability and development since its
inception. We believe the UN should play a more active role
in global affairs, in particular in the fields of development,
environment and international justice. In order to assume such
a role, the member states should help the UN to address some
of its structural deficiencies, including under-presentation
of developing nations in the influential bodies of the UN, and
the UN bureaucracy.
We also fully support the mission and objectives of the United
Nations Assistance in Afghanistan. We are in the view that the
UNAMA should strengthen its co-coordinating role.
EU & NATO:
We also attach strategic importance to our relations with the
European Union, and NATO who have been among our most generous
and committed friends. We fully appreciate the positive role
that the EU has been playing in Afghanistan, in particular its
commitments and efforts towards transnational justice. We welcome
NATO’s expanding missions in Afghanistan since they took
over command of ISAF in August 2003. Afghanistan is keen to
establish an enduring partnership with NATO. [return to index]
Terrorism:
Terrorism remains our prime concern. As a multifaceted phenomenon,
terrorism is often conditioned by its environment. In the case
of Afghanistan, we and the growing numbers of our international
partners are convinced that terrorists receive sustained support
from outside Afghanistan.
Countries have to be sincere in their support for our common
struggle against terrorism. We must be united in opposing those
who continue to use terrorism as a means of statecraft, in full
conformity with the principles of international law and norms.
Terrorists do not discriminate amongst their victims, as the
background of victims of almost all recent terrorist attacks,
including New York, Madrid, Bali, Istanbul, Casablanca, London,
Karachi, and Kandahar have revealed. As such, it is wrong and
also counterproductive to associate terrorism with a single
community and faith.
The nature of terrorism calls upon the international community
to pursue a united, determined and principled campaign against
both the symptoms, and also the causes and sources of terrorism. [return to index]
Counter Narcotics:
On behalf of the Government, the Ministry of Counter Narcotics
leads the coordination, policy making, monitoring and evaluation
of all counter narcotics activities and efforts, in the context
of Afghan constitution, and Afghan Drug Law and Drug Control,
Afghanistan’s National Drug Control Strategy. We fully
recognize the nature of threat that Narcotics presents to the
very existence of the state of Afghanistan, should we fail to
implement a multifaceted strategy to combat it. Since drug is
also a “demand-driven” challenge, full involvement
of the international community is essential to our success. [return to index]
Underdevelopment:
Another important issue for Afghanistan is “North-South”
relations. In our view, in an ever-increasing interdependent
world, the dynamic of relations between the two should be determined
by the realities of our global village. We should recognize
that our faiths have become interlinked. In a globalizing world,
security and prosperity are indivisible. There is an urgent
need to view the global challenges as our common challenges
and responsibilities. This requires a partnership between the
“South” and the “North”, to address
existing challenges and also the legacy of colonial policies. [return to index]
Sustainable Development:
Another important issue is the ways to achieve sustainable
development. In our view, sustainable development cannot be
achieved unless we give sufficient attention to protection of
our environment, and more importantly to social justice, both
domestically and globally.
Fortunately, there are important initiatives and mechanisms
which provide avenues and opportunities for the international
community to discharge their responsibilities, in particular
towards future generations such as the UN Millennium Development
Goals. [return to index]
Weapons of Mass Destruction:
In view of the nature of modern warfare, we regard using most
types of weapons of mass destruction as contrary to the international
norms. We are seeking a universal disarmament of all nuclear
weapons. We fully support an Asia and the Middle-East free of
nuclear weapons. [return to index]
Cooperation among Civilization:
A peaceful future for our world lays not in the clash of
civilizations, but in “Cooperation among Civilizations”,
a theme that has tirelessly advocated over the recent years
by H.E President Karzai. We believe that there is no one single
and superior approach to overcome the many global challenges.
We are committed to pluralism. The attributes of an ideal
man according to a 10th-century Muslim scholar, Ikhwan- al–
Safa, inspires us and those of who believe in pluralism. According
to Ikhwan- al– Safa an ideal man is:
“Persian by breeding, Arab in faith, Hanafite
[one of Islam’s schools of law, which is known to be
moderate] in his Islam, Iraqi in culture, Hebrew in lore,
Christian in manners, Damascene in piety, Greek in the sciences,
Indian in contemplation, Sufi in intimations, regal in character,
masterful in thought, and divine in insight.”
Throughout its history, Afghanistan has been at a junction
of the land routes from China and India to the West and a meeting
place of numerous and dynamic nations and cultures. As such,
it has been a filter through which artistic styles, religious
forms, and political ideas radiated in all directions. We are
confident in the 21st century, Afghanistan will become once
again a successful model of “Cooperation among Civilizations”.
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