Iran-Russia Initiative; A Hope for Stopping Tensions in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: The note of this Hong Kong publication states that regional mediators including Iran, Russia, Turkey and Qatar are trying to prevent the escalation of tensions between Kabul and Islamabad while the "cat and mouse game" of the two countries has entered a retaliatory phase.

 

The publication added; The ceasefire agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which was reached after heavy clashes last month, is now hanging by a diplomatic thread. A wave of suicide bombings in Pakistan and mutual claims about border drone attacks have made the agreement more fragile.

 

According to the South China Morning Post, Kabul has yet to follow through on its threat to “respond appropriately” to the alleged Pakistani airstrikes, while Islamabad has strongly denied the allegations.

 

The article in the publication states that Pakistan is trying to engage with its regional neighbors to preserve the fragile ceasefire. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has also said that he expects regional countries to intervene to prevent war.

 

Meanwhile, the joint Iranian-Russian initiative was strengthened by the visit of Ali Larijani, Iran’s National Security Advisor, to Islamabad, according to the publication. Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, had announced that Iran plans to hold a meeting with Afghanistan’s neighboring countries and Russia in mid-December to discuss regional mechanisms to maintain stability.

 

Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow at the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, stressed: “The best hope is that Afghanistan and Pakistan respect the ceasefire; "It won't solve the crisis, but it will reduce violence and limit the risk of wider instability."