In Doha, Qatar, participants in the meeting of the Extended Troika, including the U.S., Russia, Pakistan and China, condemned the Taliban offensive in Afghanistan. State Department spokesman Ned Price reported yesterday that the UN, Uzbekistan, the U.K., the EU, Germany, India, Norway, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan were also represented at the meeting. “[T]hey agreed, first and foremost, that the peace process needs to be accelerated,” Price said. “And they also agreed, importantly, that they will not recognize any government that is imposed through military force.”
When asked what difference the diplomacy would make on the ground in Afghanistan, Price admitted that “The diplomacy has not achieved what we want to see achieved.”
Following on that meeting, the UN Security Council is reported this morning to be discussing a draft statement that would condemn Taliban attacks on cities and towns causing high civilian casualties, and would threaten sanctions for abuses and acts that risk Afghanistan’s peace and stability. The formal statement, drafted by Estonia and Norway and seen by Reuters, has to be agreed by consensus of the 15-member body. The text also “strongly affirms that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is not recognized at the United Nations and declares that it does not and will not support the establishment of any government in Afghanistan imposed through military force or restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”
“The Security Council condemns in the strongest terms possible the armed attacks by Taliban forces on cities and towns across Afghanistan, resulting in high numbers of civilian casualties,” the draft statement reads.
