UN envoy hopeful on Afghanistan stability

The United Nations' top envoy in Afghanistan said the country now has a unique opportunity to turn the corner to a brighter, more stable future after four decades of war.

Deborah Lyons, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, briefed the Security Council at a virtual conference on Thursday. She said that even as an unprecedented global pandemic threatens to unravel many of the hard-won socioeconomic gains that Afghanistan has made over the past years, this is a moment of "emerging hope".

The UN envoy, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said she is "cautiously optimistic" that the talks between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban negotiation teams will start in the next few weeks in Doha.

"As the two sides embark on what will likely be a long and complex series of talks, I have encouraged them to show the necessary flexibility and foresight, the commitment to peace, and most importantly, compassion for their people that will be needed to bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion," she told the council, adding that the UN stands ready to support direct peace talks.

Zhang Jun, permanent representative of China to the UN, echoed Lyons by reiterating China's position on Afghanistan issue during the meeting.

Zhang said Afghanistan is the heart of Asia. Its situation has a significant impact on regional peace and stability. The fast-moving events in recent months have taken the country closer to peace than ever, but the road ahead is far from smooth.

He reiterated that China supports Afghanistan in safeguarding national unity and political stability.

"China calls on all parties in Afghanistan to put the national interest first and consolidate government unity," he said.

"China encourages the main political forces in Afghanistan to seize the opportunity to break new ground in national reconciliation and reconstruction at an earlier date," he added.

Zhang stressed that China firmly supports an inclusive peace process that is "Afghan led and Afghan owned".

"Recently, the Afghan government and the Taliban have accumulated the conditions for the start of intra-Afghanistan negotiations by releasing prisoners to each other. China appreciates this and calls on all fractions to reach an early agreement on the arrangement for intra-Afghan talks on the country's future political architecture," he said, adding that China is ready to provide a platform for intra-Afghan talks.

Lyons told the council that the formal announcement of a three-day Eid ceasefire by the Taliban and the government led to a welcome and much-needed drop in violence.

"A reduction in violence is essential to an environment conducive for peace talks and to pave the way for an eventual permanent cease-fire," she stressed.

Zhang urged all fractions to immediately cease hostilities.

"China calls on the parties concerned to ensure in implementing the US-Taliban agreement that the withdrawal of foreign forces in Afghanistan is conducted in an orderly and responsible manner without undermining the interests of Afghanistan or other countries in the region, particularly to prevent regrouping of terrorist forces," he said.