Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan
Islamabad, Pakistan: Islamabad will urge again all stakeholders of Afghan civil war to find political solution of the conflict instead of trying to use of more military power in unending Afghan conflict.
According to sources in Foreign Office of Pakistan, Foreign Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Muhammad Asif who is representing Pakistan in the Tashkent conference on Afghanistan titled “Peace Process, Security Cooperation and Regional Connectivity” will emphasis a political solution for Afghan Civil War instead of using military power as military campaign against Taliban has not successful during the last 17 year war in which United States and its allies including NATO used everything thing from Mother of the All Bombs to Daisy Cutters.
Delegations from China, European Union, Germany, France, Italy, India, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, United Nations, United States and United Arab Emirates (UAE) have reached Tashkent to attend Conference on Afghanistan.
United States has sent Under Secretary level official to participant while Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is reaching Tashkent. According to available information, Thomas Alfred Shannon who is an American diplomat and the current Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs will lead the U.S. delegation to the Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan, hosted by the government of Uzbekistan. Over 20 countries will be represented by foreign ministers including foreign ministers for Pakistan and India while Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will lead his delegation.
China will be represented by Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong. He is a career diplomat who served as the Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations from 2010 to 2013.
Afghan Taliban are not attending Tashkent Conference as they claim that they have not been invited to attend the conference. European Union has urged Taliban to accept dialogue with Afghan Government while Taliban claim that they are winning war and there is no urgency for dialogue unless foreign troops leave the soil of Afghanistan.
