During today's meeting on Peace convened by @MHaneefAtmar with @AfghanPresident AshrafGhani and @DrabdullahCE, Chairman of the High Council on National Reconciliation, and international partners, I stressed a few facts and ideas :
1/ 🇫🇷 is concerned about the escalation of violence and the growing consequences of the pandemic. At France and Tunisia initiative, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted on July 1st resolution 2532,
which sets 3 clear priorities : a general and immediate cessation of hostilities, a humanitarian pause, solidarity to face the pandemic. A resolution is never an end in itself. We call for its full implementation.
2/On June 24 meeting of the Security Council, chaired by France, and dedicated to #Afghanistan, we emphasized that active participation of women in the peace process is an indispensable condition for its long term success.
We also emphasized the need to fight drugs trafficking. Failing to obtain decisive progress on in tackling these illegal trafics would otherwise lead to ongoing and substantial ressources fuelling terrorism in Afghanistan.
3/ About the prisoner release, the Afghan people, the Taliban and international partners need to hear a strong narrative from the Government. The case of the Republic is more than solid. Yet, we have been concerned by an imbalance in terms of narrative :
The Government has been put on the spot, despite its efforts to pursue the full application of the rule of law, the rights of victims and families, and the necessity to ensure the security of the Afghan people. I will make my priority to forward this message.
4/To give #peace negotiations the best chances, France accepted the extension by the UN Security Council of a travel ban exemption for 11 Taleban leaders. But no automaticity: softening or lifting sanctions must be correlated to their genuine commitment for peace #vigilance
5/ On May 29th, the European Union stressed that the commitment and level of cooperation demonstrated today by all actors in Afghanistan, notably the Taleban, will determine tomorrow’s political and financial support by the EU to the country’s future.
These conditions should be to the advantage of the Republic during the negotiations. They will help to support your agenda, your values and the gains of the Republic, provided the representatives of the Republic insist on the fact that ongoing reforms are still needed.
