Ghani states a stable Afghanistan would benefit the region

President Ashraf Ghani said Tuesday at the 9th Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference in Dushanbe, in Tajikistan, that a stable Afghanistan is in the interests of all countries in the region.

Addressing delegates at the meeting Ghani said peace today is not just a wish for the Afghan nation but a necessity for the people.

He also said Afghans have been deprived of this right to peace for 42 years.

“We want peace because peace today is not just a wish for our people but a necessity. We and our partners are looking for a solution and peace,” Ghani said.

Ghani also said that a regional consensus on this issue is vital to Afghans and said he hopes Tuesday’s Heart of Asia Conference will bring an end to the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

Ghani also said that transfer of power to another president in Afghanistan must be done in accordance with the Constitution.

“The Taliban must call a ceasefire and the international community must monitor the ceasefire,” Ghani said.

Ghani also said instead of war the Taliban must put their legitimate demands on the table.

Reiterating earlier statements, Ghani said Afghanistan is in a position to play the role of an Asian crossroads in the region and that good relations between countries in Central Asia was critical to the development of Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan-Tajikistan relations are based on mutual respect and trust,” he added.

On the issue of borders with neighboring countries, Ghani stated Afghanistan hopes its borders will become an example of mutual cooperation.

Meanwhile, foreign minister Hannef Atmar said at the Heart of Asia conference that the international community supports the idea that Afghanistan’s achievements of the last two decades should be preserved when it comes to the peace efforts.

Meanwhile, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon announced his country’s support in all sectors, especially in helping Afghanistan achieve a lasting peace.

“We are ready to work with Afghanistan to implement key projects. The experience of forty years of war in Afghanistan shows that there is no military solution to the Afghan crisis,” Rahmon said.

Rahmon also announced his support for the Afghan government’s stance in peace talks and he called on countries in both the region and the world to work for peace with the government and people of Afghanistan.

The pain of the citizens of Afghanistan is the pain of the Tajik people, Rahmon said.

“We will take effective steps to resolve the Afghan crisis. “Tajikistan wants peace in Afghanistan, and cooperation with Afghanistan is a priority in Tajikistan’s foreign policy.” Rahmon added.

Referring to Tajikistan’s past, Rahmon said: “The process of national reconciliation in our country took five years. Thousands of our citizens settled in Afghanistan. In the same days, Professor Burhanauddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud, made a historic service, and the first talks between the Tajiks took place in Kabul.”

A civil war was fought in Tajikistan almost immediately after independence from the Soviet Union, lasting from 1992 to 1997. Since the end of the war, newly established political stability and foreign aid have allowed the country’s economy to grow.