KABUL (SW) – Roland Kobia, EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan, has underlined the need of an inclusive peace process with an international guarantee, and no back-tracking on the progress and reforms.
Addressing a group of journalists in Kabul on Thursday, he said the EU is ready and willing to serve as guarantor for the proper and fair implementation of the proposed peace agreement. He said Federica Maria Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has floated this idea, and so far the Afghan government and the U.S. have shown positive response to this idea. He said if the third party, the Taliban, also considered the EU trustworthy, the efforts for proper and inclusive implementation of the peace process would be furnished.
“EU has been a guarantor, or a witness or a facilitator in many peace agreements around the world. Very recently we supported the peace agreement in Columbia, we have also worked in the Philippines in the Mindanao process, in Indonesia in the Achi peace process, in Myanmar we have been a witness to the ceasefire agreement between the government and the ethnic armed rebels, and also in Georgia”, he said.
He clarified this is going to be political and diplomatic support for sound and good implementation of the peace agreement, not military guarantee.
The EU Envoy also highlighted the regional dynamics of economics around Afghanistan post-peace era. He said it is important to dis-enclave land-locked Afghanistan for access to sea, market, foreign direct investment and energy and trade corridors. “If security and peace comes in Afghanistan and the region, there is an incredible number of projects on the paper quite mature that could be developed very fast that would help getting people out of poverty, which is key for sustainable peace”, he said.
Roland Kobia said a five-point agenda in this regard has been shared in a joint session co-chaired by Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser.
He said the forthcoming Kabul Process – III in March is going to be important moment for Afghanistan. The Envoy called for an inclusive participation from Afghanistan and high-level participation from all participants as it is going to take place at a critical moment in the history of Afghanistan.
Roland Kobia stressed the peace process and the forthcoming presidential elections should not jeopardize each other, and should instead complement each other.
“EU is not going to leave Afghanistan even after the peace deal, as there would be an increased need for support to manage peace agreement”, he stressed.
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