Deputy Minister Milen Lyutskanov Attends International Conference on Afghanistan
24 November 2020 News
Deputy Minister Milen Lyutskanov took part in the International Conference on Afghanistan in Geneva. It was organized jointly by the UN and the governments of Finland and Afghanistan. The event was held in a video conference format because of the situation with COVID-19 on November 24, 2020.
„The Conference took place at a critical moment for the Afghanistan peace process. We strongly believe that the intra-Afghan talks between the Afghan Government and the Taliban, which started in Doha in September, will serve as a platform for achieving lasting peace and true reconciliation,“ Milen Lyutskanov said.
He went on to add that he appreciated the efforts of the Governments of Finland and Afghanistan in organizing this event despite the many challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic.
Deputy Minister Lyutskanov asserted that it is exceptionally important that at this stage the two sides should reach a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire agreement in order to put an end to violence and to the unnecessary suffering of the Afghan people and to open the road to successful peace talks. „We are reiterating the importance of the peace process that is managed and owned by Afghanistan and the involvement in it of all interested parties, such as the afghan women, the minorities, the people with disabilities, and civic society,“ Milen Lyutskanov said. He expressed hope that Afghanistan’s neighbours and the regional players will become actively engaged in encouraging a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
„The international community and the Government of Afghanistan have united today to reach an agreement on the way forward in the next four years. We appreciate highly the Afghan authorities’ determination to tackle the numerous challenges and to apply constructive reforms,“ Milen Lyutskanov said. He went on to add that more work was needed to strengthen rule of law, to encourage good governance and respect for human rights, to fight corruption, illegal migration, and drug trafficking.
„The adoption of the Partnership Framework in Afghanistan is a positive outcome that demonstrates the shared priorities and the coordinated support for the country’s efforts to achieve peace and to build a prosperous future for its people,“ the Deputy Foreign Minister said.
Since 2002, Bulgaria has been taking part in the international community’s efforts to put an end to the long conflict in Afghanistan and to rebuild the country. Bulgaria will continue to provide assistance in such high-priority areas as building administrative capacity, humanitarian aid, and achieving equality of the sexes, both at bilateral level through its official development assistance program and through the relevant programs of the international organisations that are operating on-site. For example, we contributed on an annual basis to the application of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) to the Afghan situation in the search for long-term solutions to the refugee crisis in Afghanistan.
Bulgaria has also confirmed its commitments to NATO’s efforts for providing additional training, advice, and assistance to the Afghan security forces and institutions through its active participation in the Resolute Support Mission.
Taking part in the conference were more than 70 states, international organisations and representatives of the Government and civic society of Afghanistan.