Indonesia Hopes Peace Process in Afghanistan Will Succeed

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia hoped for a successful peace process in Afghanistan after its top diplomat met with the Taliban leaders on August 26 in Doha, Qatar.

Recently, the Afghan government and the Taliban leaders attended their first direct peace talks after the Taliban have seized power in the conflict-riddled nation.

“Indonesia’s primary desire is to see a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said during a meeting with House of Representatives Commission I, which oversees security and foreign affairs, on Thursday, September 2.

Retno said Indonesia also stressed the importance of creating an inclusive government in Afghanistan and protecting the country from terrorist group activities.

“It is also important to respect women’s rights,” she said.

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She went on to say that Indonesia has no vested interest in Afghanistan. The meeting with the Taliban leaders touched on the issues on the current situation in Afghanistan and future projections.

“We need to convey that the purpose of the brief visit to Doha, which was less than 24 hours, aims to compare notes on the current situation in Afghanistan and projections for the better future,” the minister said.

She also said that the Taliban leaders are committed to forming an inclusive government. Prior to that, the Taliban leaders have appointed several people to fill some vacant posts in the government.

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“This includes the position for the minister of defense, minister of the home affairs, minister of finance, minister of education, intelligence body, central bank governor, Kabul governor, and the mayor of Kabul,” she said, adding that those positions are temporary.

During the visit to Doha, Retno also met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and the United States Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalizad.They discussed various issues, including evacuation, security, and the future of Afghanistan.

(Writer: Nicholas Ryan Aditya | Editor: Bayu Galih)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/09/02/13371441/kepada-taliban-menlu-retno-sampaikan-indonesia-ingin-afghanistan-damai?page=all#page2.