Chinese President Emphasizes Role Of Neighbors To Support Afghanistan, Indonesia Wants Taliban To Fulfill Promises

Illustration of services in an Afghan health facility. (Wikimedia Commons/Sgt. Ashley Curtis)

JAKARTA - Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Afghanistan's neighbors to do their best to support the country's people, while Indonesia advised the Taliban to fulfill their promises.

In his written message to the participants of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan + Afghanistan Foreign Ministers Dialogue in Tunxi, Anhui, China, President Xi said that Afghanistan needs development in many fields. According to him, Afghanistan is at a critical point in the transition from chaos to order.

"Afghanistan is a neighbor and common partner of all participating countries, and we are forming a community with a common future connected by the same mountains and rivers that will rise and fall together," Xi said, according to the China Daily, March 31.

He also noted that a peaceful, stable, developing and prosperous Afghanistan is the aspiration of all Afghans, and is also in the common interest of regional countries and the international community. President Xi underlined that good-neighborly friendship is very valuable for a country.

"China has always respected Afghanistan's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and is committed to supporting its efforts to achieve peace, stability, and development," Xi said.

In the meeting which was attended by Afghanistan, China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, Indonesia and Qatar were also present as invited countries.

On this occasion, Indonesia was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi. He said that neighboring Afghanistan has an important role to play, namely helping the Afghan people to live in peace and prosperity.

"We don't want to see Afghanistan fail. It has an important role to play, namely helping the Afghan people to live in peace and prosperity," said Foreign Minister Retno in a virtual press statement.

One thing that Foreign Minister Retno emphasized again on this occasion was the issue of education. According to him, women and men everywhere, including in Afghanistan, have the right to get equal treatment and have their rights fulfilled, including the right to education.

"Therefore, I hope that the ban on schooling for Afghan women at the secondary school level can be reviewed," said Foreign Minister Retno.

"To create a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan, I convey several thoughts. First, is the importance of fulfilling the Taliban's promises, by making a timeline or roadmap to fulfill this promise. Second, prioritizing humanitarian assistance. Third, starting to think about economic development. And lastly, the importance of building trust between the Taliban and the international community," said Foreign Minister Retno.

"Trust does not fall from the sky, but must be built and maintained. Trust will be created if the Taliban take steps forward and fulfill all the commitments made in August last year," she concluded.