Strategy in Afghanistan
Mr Chairman, Minister Qureshi, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, first of all allow me to express my thanks to the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the IISS for organising this important event, which provides us with a good opportunity to discuss the burning issues that concern many countries in this region and globally.
Afghanistan is now high on the agenda of the international community. The world has recognised the common security threat that resulted from failing to secure Afghanistan in the last decade. Discussion over recent months has recognised the urgency of preventing further deterioration of the security situation in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghanistan has put the election difficulty behind it. The people of Afghanistan, under very difficult circumstances, came out to vote for its government. It has its difficulties, it has its challenges, but it is now over. It was followed by an event where the President of Afghanistan has announced his war plan for the coming five years in his inauguration speech. He highlighted a couple of very important points in his speech which was highly appreciated and supported by the wider international community in that day, where more than 48 delegates from many different countries participated in that event.
That agenda focused basically on creating a situation for promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan, using not only military power but a broader approach. It stresses taking more responsibility for the security of Afghanistan by working together with our partners to build the capacity of the Afghan institutions, to take more responsibility for the security of its own people. It also focused and stressed the importance of building civil and government institutions for providing services, justice and fighting corruption. It also highlights the importance of the regional cooperation, which is key to the success of any strategy for stabilising Afghanistan. I thinking the Afghan government also welcomed the new UN strategy, which was announced after that inauguration. Afghans did not welcome only the increase of troops.
The country welcomed the overall strategy because of the breadth and depth of the strategy to stabilise Afghanistan. That strategy, which was based on the thorough analysis of General Petraeus and General McChrystal of the ground reality of Afghanistan, focused on protecting the population as the key theme. This was very much welcomed by the Afghan people. It also highlighted the need to invest more in the building of Afghan security and institutions. It focused on building the civilian institutions and also providing opportunity for the reintegration of those who will denounce violence and join with the peace process. At the same time, it stresses very much the importance of cooperation of the regional countries. That was the reason why the strategy was highly and broadly welcomed for the stability of Afghanistan.
The success of this strategy depends, firstly, on how these two war plans can be seen as a one giant plan to stabilise Afghanistan. Secondly, we have to look to the four important variables that have a role in the success of the new strategy. Firstly, how this new strategy is going to be implemented, both by the international players, NATO and other security forces, that are helping Afghanistan. Secondly, how the government of Afghanistan will react and grab the opportunity to benefit and utilise it for the benefit of the Afghan people. Thirdly, and also very importantly, it depends on the general cooperation of the regional countries – Afghanistan's immediate neighbours and particularly the government of Pakistan, with whom we are now gradually improving our relations, understanding and working together on many fronts. Fourthly, it depends on the wider regional cooperation. It is not only Pakistan but the wider region which has a role for the stability of Afghanistan. If we look at how the different neighbours can benefit from stability or will suffer from instability in Afghanistan, this question is quite clear.
There are two sets of factors that will form the basis of the common ground for cooperation. One set are the common threads. Extremism, militancy, drugs, weapons smuggling and endemic poverty are issues that are faced in our region, and in Afghanistan in particular, a country where 60% of its population has lost an opportunity. They are young – aged under‑25 years. 52% of the Afghan population are still living under the poverty line. Those who are trapped and drawn towards extremism are those young unemployed people. Poverty is also a big issue in this whole threat. I think there is a wider agreement between the Afghan neighbours and countries in the wider region to cooperate on helping to address the problem of drugs. There is a lot of discussion and lot of good will, but there is a need for improved action on the ground in order to be able to tackle that problem. The same with weapons, and with cross-border insurgency. The second set of factors that also form the basis of cooperation is the common interest in this region on economical cooperation, on job creation, on energy cooperation, cooperation of food, infrastructure and on preventing drug trafficking and at the same time creating jobs. This is common ground where the region can build better relations that can be sustained.
Afghanistan welcomed the recent initiative of the government of Pakistan in military operations in the Waziristan area, and they have done a great job. We are looking forward to working together with NATO and other international security forces to address those cross-border activities which are fighting against Afghan and NATO forces inside Afghanistan. We need to expand those efforts. We have to prevent those elements who are still able to operate in that border region. If we look to the cooperation with Afghanistan from the immediate neighbours, but beyond that to the Gulf countries, to the GCC members, I think that the most terrible region is the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but there are an increasing number of youths who are finding jobs and employment in the Gulf, both from the other side of the border and also from the province of Jowzjan in Afghanistan. You will be surprised that those who are finding illicit jobs and income and are supporting their families, how they will gradually distance themselves from the extremist groups, and how they contribute to the well-being of the population in those areas. There are plenty of areas where we can cooperate and we can change these dynamics.
I think under-education and poverty, as I mentioned, are a cause for many youths joining extremist groups, and they will target it. In these tribal areas, the border areas, there is a very low level of literacy, there are not effective governments and the population are relying much more on the war economy, rather than having an opportunity for jobs.
I think we can talk about the different aspects of the strategy, the way we can succeed and all the other challenges and how the different neighbouring countries can cooperate, but I will leave that for the question-and-answer session, because then we can be more specific to address those questions, rather than just reading a text from my speech. I will stop here and would prefer to have more dialogue to respond to your questions and concerns regarding Afghanistan and our region. Thank you very much.
