United Nations in a released statement announced that the organization is ready to assist the mediation of the Afghan peace process.

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General stated on a Friday briefing said that the UN is ready to assist the Afghan people to a peace “agreeable” to all parties.

Dujarric stated that the secretary-general and others have been in constant contact with Americans, Russians, Turks and Qataris, and other parties involved in the Afghan peace process.

“There is a positive momentum from the international community in terms of coordination and moving forward on helping the afghan parties find peace for the sake of the people of Afghanistan,” Dujarric added.

He said that the UN is continuing its discussions and that it will do whatever to facilitate the peace process per the requests within the structured framework.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday to discuss Afghanistan.

Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State discussed the Afghan peace process with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday.

US State Department stated, that both officials spoke: “on Afghanistan, Secretary Blinken thanked Secretary-General Guterres for his commitment to helping advance talks on a just and durable political settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,”.

On the other hand, Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib on Saturday announced that the Afghan government will participate in the UN-led conference in Turkey requested by the US and the Moscow conference on the Afghan peace process.

The NSA added that the government is working on preparing delegations for both of the events,

Mohib said that the Afghan government is working on a delegation for the two events.

Afghan politicians are expected to join the event in Moscow on 18 March and the Turkey is said to host the UN-led summit on April of 2021.

Turkey conference was proposed by Secretary of State, Antony Blinken to President Ashraf Ghani and Head of High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, Foreign Minister of Turkey hinted on Friday that Istanbul has planned to host the Afghan peace summit in April.

He said “we were one of the few countries invited to this signing ceremony, and we are one of the most important actors in Afghanistan,” Anadolu Agency quoted Cavusoglu.

Earlier, the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan also sent out a letter to Afghan leaders, politicians, and Taliban representatives to join the Moscow peace meeting.

A peace framework that Russia planned for Afghanistan will be discussed in the meeting, however, Maria Zakharova, Spokeswoman to the Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that “the formation of an interim inclusive administration would be a logical solution to the problem of integrating the Taliban into the peaceful political life of Afghanistan”.

The decisions on the table should be made by Afghans themselves and the issues should be resolved during negotiations on national reconciliation, Zakharova told reporters.

Fraidoon Khwazoon told the media that in the Moscow meeting President Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah as well as foreign envoys are expected to participate on 18 of March.

This comes as Washing Post reported that high-ranked Pentagon officials warned of dangerous consequences if the US pulls its troops out of Afghanistan by May 1st, a deadline agreed upon on the US-Taliban peace deal on February 2020 in Doha, Qatar.

According to Washing Post, officials at the US department of state also believe that early US troop’s withdrawal from Afghanistan may lead to a civil war, possible attack on US allies and allies, and most of all the hasty withdrawal will put human rights condition at extreme risk.

This swift pullout will also create significant security and logistical issues, as US troops and contractors will be evacuated by aircraft, this would require the destruction of sensitive equipment worth millions of dollars and could be followed by a diplomatic drawdown in Kabul, Washington Post reported.

An official at the White House reiterated that the Taliban still haven’t fulfilled their commitments to sever ties with Al-Qaeda, according to Washington Post.

U.S President has sought to put an end to the Afghan war and bring US troops back home, but US officials have constantly said that the U.S would mull over troop’s withdrawal and the country is still considering its final decision about the pull-out.

report in Khaama Press, 13 Mar 2021 at 10:31 PM
https://www.khaama.com/while-ankara-moscow-draws-up-for-peace-summits-us-officials-signal-extreme-risks-5435222/