Afghan peace conference in Moscow

The significance of Moscow conference on Afghanistan was that Taliban leaders/representatives have attended for the first time, which is reflective of the Taliban’s desire for real peace in the country. Eleven countries including China, Pakistan, Iran, India and Central Asian states participated; Afghanistan did not send any official delegation; however members of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, which oversees peace efforts but does not represent the Afghan government, were also present. “We discussed the subject of direct talks with the Taliban and asked them to choose the place and the starting time,” said a High Peace Council spokesman. However, Taliban representatives have reaffirmed their group’s position that they will not hold direct talks with Afghan government, and in proposed direct talks with the US the issue will be that occupation must end.
Western officials and the Afghan government view the Moscow talks with some suspicion – some fear it could derail other efforts at negotiations. But this is not true, as Taliban have already agreed to hold talks directly with the US, and last month US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad along with other American officials had met with Taliban delegation in Doha Qatar to discuss ending the Afghan conflict, and in fact the direct talks were held as Khalilzad sought to coordinate efforts with regional countries, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. During the meeting, Taliban and U.S. negotiators discussed the end of occupation and a peaceful solution in Afghanistan,” Afghan news agency Tolo News had reported.
Reportedly, the Taliban delegation had stressed the need for a real and Afghan-inclusive solution, and also made it clear that the presence of foreign forces in the country was a major barrier to lasting peace. Both sides had agreed to continue such meetings in the future, the statement added. The Taliban has long called for bilateral talks with the United States, but Washington had repeatedly refused, insisting the process must be Afghan-led. But under pressure to break the impasse with the group, Washington changed its early stance in June when U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his country was prepared to participate in talks with the Taliban. Meanwhile, Pakistan confirmed it had freed a senior Taliban leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, from jail last month at the request of the US.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Brathar was released so that he could facilitate the peace process in Afghanistan. But the problem is that the US and Afghan government are interested in the continuation of instability to justify their existence and survival, because in case of some agreement they will have to share power with the Taliban. In fact, late Ahmad Shah Massoud and Abdul Rashid Dostum had created the United Front (Northern Alliance) against the Taliban that were preparing offensives against the remaining areas under the control of Massoud and those under the control of Dostum. After 9/11, when the US and its allies invaded Afghanistan, they had supported the invasion and had the lion’s share in the Afghan government led by Hamid Karzai.
Even today, President Ashraf Ghani is surrounded by elements from former Northern alliance, who do not wish to have reconciliation with the Taliban. There is a perception that while Washington verbally supported the negotiation process, in reality it aimed to derail it, as peace can diminish the American influence and increase the Russian and Chinese influence. Secondly, if the US completely withdraws from Afghanistan, it will lose strategic advantage and influence over former Soviet republics. Finally, they understand that Afghan government and its forces will not be able to face the Taliban, as US and NATO forces could not rein in the Taliban during 14 years of occupation. On the other hand, the Taliban would not stop unless the majority of the population gets its due right of ruling the country.