AFGHANISTAN could be only two months away from drawing up a new, broad-based government, former Afghan foreign minister Homayoun Jarir told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
The announcement came at the end of the fourth Cyprus peace conference for Afghanistan, held in Nicosia.
Jarir said the main purpose of the conference had been to bring about a broad-based government for the country, ravaged by civil war since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989.
“We will bring all the important people in the country together to elect the general assembly for our country. And we hope that it will be a neutral government that everyone will be happy with,” Jarir said.
“It is very important because [it could end] 25 years of fighting in our country,” he added.
He said that a statement from the UN Security Council had expressed UN satisfaction with the progress made.
Senior government officials, tribal leaders, Islamic scholars and technocrats, as well as former President Sghatullah Mojaddedi, attended the conference in Nicosia between September 15 and 18.
It was the first time representatives from the ruling Taleban had participated in the peace negotiations.
The international community has refused to recognise the legitimacy of the Taleban regime, which controls some 80 per cent of the country, including the capital Kabul.
Fighting has continued between the Taleban and troops defending north Afghanistan, commanded by Uzbek General Abdul Rashid and Tajik Shah Masood.
Jarir estimated 500 people would be involved in the talks drawing a plan for a new government, which will include members of the Taleban.
The meeting is likely to be held in Cyprus.
“We need to have the meeting in a neutral country. Cyprus is neutral and also a good place. We are happy here,” Jarir said.
The first Cyprus peace conference for Afghanistan was held in Cyprus in February 1999.
Jarir extended his thanks to the Cyprus government for allowing the conference to take place.
“Since all the factions were to be represented and the UN supported it, with other international representatives, we facilitated the conference to help Afghanistan have peace,” the director of bilateral relations at the Foreign Ministry Stavros Epaminondas told the Cyprus Mail.
UN special representative John Pier Castillo attended the conference, alongside international representatives from Britain, Cyprus, Germany, Iran, the United States.
