On September 22, the UN Accreditation Committee announced that it is considering a request from the radical Islamist Taliban movement, which has expressed a desire to speak at the UN General Assembly. For the Islamists, a tribune in New York would be an important step towards legitimizing their power. “We want good relations with our neighbors, countries in the region and the world,” Taliban spokesman Mohammad Sohail Shahin said shortly after coming to power in Kabul. How do other countries view it?
Germany
At the end of August, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made it clear that diplomatic relations are not directly related to the recognition of the government. “If this were politically possible and if the security situation allows, then Germany should once again have its embassy in Kabul,” he said during a visit to Qatar, where the Taliban are negotiating with diplomats from different countries. At the same time, Mas clarified that so far it is not a question of “formal issues of recognition,” but exclusively of solving practical problems.
First of all, this concerns the dangers that, after the Taliban came to power, faced the local assistants of the German contingent participating in the international anti-terrorist coalition, diplomatic missions, as well as non-governmental organizations and the German media.
Afghan refugees at the American Ramstein base in Germany
Germany plans to allocate 500 million euros to help Afghan refugees who have found refuge in neighboring countries of Central Asia.
Russia
In Russia, the Taliban movement is banned as a terrorist organization. At the same time, Moscow has been in contact with the Taliban for many years. Moreover, a few days ago, speaking to the leaders of the SCO and CSTO countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that although the interim Taliban government “cannot be called really representative or inclusive,” “of course, it is also necessary to work with it.” He also noted the need to “agree on a position” on the issue of recognizing the new government in Kabul.
Taliban talks in Moscow, March 2021
In terms of security policy, Moscow fears that Islamists from Afghanistan will gain influence in the former Soviet republics: Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This, experts believe, was one of the reasons for the ten-year Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, which ended in 1989 in a complete fiasco.
In addition, Russia is one of the countries that fear an increase in the production of heroin in Afghanistan. The cultivation of the opium poppy is considered one of the main sources of income for the Taliban. But the fact that Russia remains one of the few countries that has not closed its embassy in Kabul may indicate Moscow’s interest in developing Afghanistan’s natural resources.
European Union
“To have at least some chance to influence the events in Afghanistan, we have no other choice but to negotiate with the Taliban,” said the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, speaking in mid-September at the European Parliament. The EU’s overall strategy for Afghanistan aims to ensure human rights in the country, as well as to prevent terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda or IS from gaining a foothold in these territories.
In addition, the EU in early September announced its readiness to provide financial assistance to the countries of the Asian region if they host refugees from Afghanistan. Brussels intends to prevent a repeat of the events of 2015, when a virtually uncontrolled flow of refugees poured into Europe, and has already announced its readiness to allocate 300 million euros by the end of 2022 to accommodate migrants from Afghanistan in Europe. A third of this amount will be given by Germany, which announced its readiness to accept up to 30 thousand Afghan refugees.
China
Of all the global powers, China seems to be the most open to cooperation with the Taliban: back in late July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Abdul Ghani Baradar, the co-founder of the Taliban and the political leader of the Islamists. Beijing’s interest, on the one hand, is purely economic: China wants to gain access to Afghan minerals and include Afghanistan in its New Silk Road project.
Taliban co – founder Abdul Ghani Baradar and Foreign Minister Van I
On the other hand, Beijing fears the growing influence of radical Islamists on its territory. Afghanistan borders the predominantly Muslim Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and there is evidence that several hundred radical Uyghurs have joined the Taliban in the past. For many years, the Chinese security forces responded with the most severe repression to the aspirations of the Uyghurs for independence.
At the same time, they expect in Beijing, China’s investments in Afghanistan will be so large that the Taliban will probably put up with the fate of the Uyghur brothers in faith.
USA
The administration of President Joe Biden has not yet presented a new strategy for Afghanistan. At the same time, the White House has not yet reacted in any way to the Taliban’s desire to improve relations.
At the same time, Washington, like Brussels, fears that terrorist organizations can take root in Afghanistan and from there plan and coordinate attacks on the Western world without hindrance. At the moment, the US seems to be mostly busy rethinking its relationship with Pakistan, which is still considered a strategic partner in Washington.
Pakistan
It’s no secret that Pakistani intelligence, ISI, has long supported the Taliban. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan hailed the seizure of power by the Islamists in Kabul, calling it the liberation of Afghanistan. Already during the first rule of the Taliban (from 1996 to 2001) Pakistan, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, was one of the three countries that officially recognized the “Islamic Caliphate of Afghanistan”.
On the other hand, Islamabad does not want to continue accepting refugees from Afghanistan seeking salvation from the Taliban. Today, 1.5 million Afghans already live in Pakistan.
Turkey
Slowing down the flow of refugees from Afghanistan is also in the sphere of Turkey’s interests. This country, however, is considered a springboard for many Afghans in the EU, but Ankara fears that some of the migrants may settle in Turkey. The authorities have already begun building a border wall on the border with Iran.
Turkey builds a wall on the border with Iran
At the same time, Ankara is trying to improve relations with the Taliban and diplomatically. The new authorities have already offered Turkey to become the operator of the international airport in Kabul.
Qatar
The emirate in the Persian Gulf is neither a destination for refugees, nor a target for potential terrorist attacks by Islamists. But he likes the role of mediator. The state leadership maintains ties with the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.
Since 2013, the Taliban’s political office has been located in Doha. At the same time, one of the largest US military bases in the Middle East is located in Qatar. Many observers hope Doha can have a deterrent effect on the Taliban.
See also:
.