Afghanistan, Di Maio: “Dramatic scenario, we need a common strategy”

“Afghanistan in the last twenty years has represented one of the main challenges for the international community and the multilateral system. Despite twenty years of presence and investment in the country by a vast international coalition, the United Nations, NATO and the European Union, the sudden collapse of the Afghan government and its institutions – a collapse that escaped the foresight of the international community – places us in front of a dramatic scenario. international community “. This was said by Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, in connection with the Rimini Meeting. The gravity of the situation in Afghanistan “makes an even closer connection with our allies inevitable, in order to define a common strategy in favor of the Afghan people and the achievements that have matured so far”, underlined the Foreign Minister. “We must strengthen our Western alliance, not question it. Otherwise we will all weaken” he then warned. “We cannot tolerate – he marked – that the achievements of these two decades are lost. I am thinking, in particular, of women’s rights. For this reason, Italy strongly supports international initiatives, such as the convening of a Special Session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations focused on the situation in Afghanistan. violations of human rights “. “The safety of the Afghans who have collaborated in various capacities with the international community and of personalities who have expressed themselves in favor of human and civil rights is at the center of our efforts. Italy, present with the consul and a nucleus of soldiers at the Kabul airport, continues to work to rescue collaborators and activists who want to leave the country. We have so far evacuated about 1,600 Afghan civilians, our former collaborators and their families. The plan is to transfer about 2,500 to Italy “Di Maio explained. “The demand for reception of refugees and migrants of Afghan origin is destined to increase. It is necessary and urgent – he remarked – to develop a common response together with the European Union, in conjunction with the partners of the region”. “Italy – added the head of the Farnesina – is fighting to ensure that international organizations are guaranteed full humanitarian access to the country.” “The G7 convened for Tuesday is welcome” but with Prime Minister Mario Draghi we are working on the convening of a G20 extraordinary, which sees “actors like Russia and China, countries like India at the table”, which represent a crucial point of the overall strategy with respect to Afghanistan, highlighted the Foreign Minister. “With President Draghi, as President of the G20 – said Di Maio – we have launched intense diplomatic action to define a common approach “. “I have already had a series of contacts in recent days with my counterparts in our partner countries. We intend to extend this coordination to the main international players through the multilateral platform of the G20, which can offer a central contribution to the international management of the new Afghan scenario” . “Afghanistan must not become a paradise for terrorist organizations – he added – It will be essential, in this sense, that the international community also exercises a strengthened action to combat drug trafficking and for the elimination of the production of opium in Afghanistan. We will have to build alliances and involve a plurality of countries around these common objectives: especially those of the region, which share this concern, as well as Russia and China, essential players in this scenario “.