On Saturday, June 20, 2020, the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) in collaboration with the Institute for Central Asia and Afghanistan Studies (ICSA) held a virtual roundtable discussion on "Regional Consensus, Iran's Perspectives: Peace in Afghanistan". Dr. Sima Samar, State Minister for Human Rights and International Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; Dr. Seyed Mohammad Kazem Sajjadpour, President of the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Abdul Karim Khurram Former Minister of Information and Culture of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; Dr. Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, Assistant Minister for West Asia at the Ministry of Foreign affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Dr. Mujib Rahman Rahimi, Advisor to the High Council for National Reconciliation; Dr. Gholam Ali Chegenizada, Professor of International Relations, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, were the speakers of the program. The event was moderated by Professor Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh, Senior Lecturer Sciences Po, Paris.
Dr. Sima Samar asserted that peace in Afghanistan is very important for the countries of the region. So it is necessary to create regional consensus for lasting peace in Afghanistan with more understanding; this consensus needs to build trust between the governments in the first place. She further emphasized that peace is not only the absence of violence; it is security for the lives of citizens of Afghanistan. In Dr. Samar’s opinion, what leads to lasting peace in Afghanistan is unity among people, and interaction with countries and powers in the region. With unity amongst the people of Afghanistan, as well as a stronger regional consensus, we can reach an agreement with the powers outside the region, she added.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Seyed Mohammad Kazem Sajjadpour, referred to the Afghan refugees’ situation in Iran; he stated that it is necessary to determine the framework of Iran's view on refugees, to understand whether this framework is based on cooperation and proximity, or based on certain views. Iran acts as a positive actor in Afghanistan’s political affairs, which of course is based on constructiveness, added. From Sajjadpour's point of view, not returning to the status quo, preserving the constitution, protecting women’s rights and minorities, and maintaining the republic are red lines that Iran considers in the issue of peace in Afghanistan.
Abdul Karim Khorram stated that the US performance in the past 20 years on the issue of peace in Afghanistan has caused distrust among the countries in the region. However, peace in Afghanistan could lead to regional cooperation and convergence. He believes the issue of peace in Afghanistan raises the question of whether Americans want peace in Afghanistan, or they just want to change the face of the current war. On some levels, there are discussions on how to manage the peace process, which strengthens doubts about real peace. Khorram asserted that the only country that agrees with the Islamic Emirate's form of government for Afghanistan is the United States.
In his speech, Dr. Seyed Rasoul Mousavi spoke about Iran’s stance on the peace process in Afghanistan, and said that Afghan peace belongs to the Afghan people; Iran only supports any process managed by the Afghanistan government. He also said that as long as Afghans do not reach a consensus on peace, no country in the region can help. He stressed the importance of regional integration, adding that international consensus on continuing assistance to Afghanistan is one of the key conditions for regional integration. Mousavi emphasized that the National Reconciliation Council is a transnational structure, that can succeed to achieve lasting peace, and will be supported by the Iranian government.
Dr. Mojibi Rahimi was the closing speaker. He indicated that the High Council for National Reconciliation will act more decisively and effectively than similar institutions for lasting peace in Afghanistan. He linked its effectiveness to two points: 1) support the peace process created by Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and the National Reconciliation Council; 2) refrain from joining parallel councils and processes. “In Afghanistan, we need to reach a national, regional, and international consensus; peace in Afghanistan will not be possible without the cooperation of the two neighboring countries, Iran and Pakistan," he emphasized.
Dr. Ghulam Ali Chegenizada stated that, apart from Pakistan, no other country has a leading vision for the Afghan peace process; in other words, at the international level, there is no such strategic vision among international actors. Dr. Chegenizada believes that we need a new plan for peace in Afghanistan and pay attention to the word nation in the sense of the word, because Taliban are also an integral part of this nation. In his opinion, over the past year, developments in Afghanistan have challenged the state-building project; thus, peace will not be achieved until the obstacles to state-building are identified. He emphasized that Iran and the United States need to reach a common understanding on peace in Afghanistan.