Peace, Security, and Regional Cooperation for Development | Joint Press Conference with the President of Croatia

Keypoints: 

• Afghanistan-Croatia ties: Longstanding friendship; support for education, youth, women, and security.
• Peace & security: Afghan forces defend sovereignty; Croatia trains troops; scholars endorse defense.
• Economy & region: Afghanistan aims to be a trade hub and regional connector.
• Challenges: Terrorism, criminal networks, youth addiction, state collapse; regional cooperation needed.
• Governance: National Unity Government is legitimate; constitution protects sovereignty and rights.
• Vision: Stable, secure, prosperous Afghanistan; focus on development, partnerships, and no proxy wars.

It is a great honor for me to welcome the President of Croatia to Afghanistan. The President of Croatia has visited Afghanistan multiple times; this is her tenth visit. She is a friend and knows the people of Afghanistan, especially the children and women, very well. Since her time as Foreign Minister and later as Deputy Secretary General of NATO, she has had a special interest in Afghanistan. Among her initiatives is facilitating 22 Afghan universities with access through a satellite. She created opportunities for Afghan youth to access the internet at their universities via satellite. I sincerely thank her for that.

Similarly, she has always defended Afghanistan’s legitimate rights, the right to self-determination, the right to peace, and the right to development. Under her leadership, Croatia has assisted in strengthening Afghanistan’s security forces during the ISAF era and also through a significant share in Resolute Support. Considering Croatia’s population and the number of its soldiers, this contribution is remarkable, and we sincerely thank them. At the same time, 50% of Croatia’s international aid is allocated to Afghanistan, for which I also thank them.

I wish to thank Her Excellency the President, and the delegation includes Mufti Hassan Vich. Croatia maintains Islamic relations with us; Mr. Kashaf and Mr. Hassan Vich will speak in detail. Every soldier that Croatia sends here is trained in Afghanistan’s religious beliefs and customs, thanks to Mufti Hassan Vich. Croatian troops have also implemented significant development projects. Though small in scale, these projects have had a considerable impact on people’s lives.

Croatia understands our conditions. A country that has experienced war and difficult conditions can understand another country facing similar challenges. We congratulate Croatia on joining the European Union and becoming a key point of stability, peace, and a regional transit corridor. We hope that by transferring this experience, we can establish cooperation where Afghanistan can reclaim its historical position as the crossroads of Asia.

The war has been imposed on Afghanistan, and the people and government are determined never to succumb to imposed war. Our goal remains peace; however, under current difficult circumstances, I am especially honored to serve as Commander-in-Chief of Afghanistan’s Armed Forces. I express gratitude to Afghan scholars who have supported our security and defense forces and issued religious endorsements for them to defend this land and the rightful rights of our people. I thank all members of our security and defense forces who sacrifice daily and prove themselves as true sons of this land.

At the same time, I thank our sisters, youth, children, and all the people of Afghanistan. Our collective aspiration is to breathe freely, work peacefully toward the future, and turn the immense natural resources God has granted us into social wealth and regional and global prosperity. Her Excellency, the President, welcome again; you are always welcome. If you were not the President of Croatia, we would have immediately called you a special representative of Afghanistan. But we hope that from this esteemed position, you will always represent this people, who hold a deep affection for you. Welcome; welcome from the heart.

President of Croatia [Translation]

Thank you very much to the President of Afghanistan! Ladies and gentlemen! Good afternoon, Assalamu Alaikum! It is truly a pleasure to return to Kabul. As President Ghani said, I have visited Afghanistan multiple times and have seen the country. From my first visit, I developed a special affection for the Afghan people. Since 2006, I have been actively involved in promoting peace, human rights, and civil rights education in Afghanistan.

I wish to express condolences to the martyrs of Afghanistan who sacrificed their lives for the country. I want to say that because of these sacrifices, Afghanistan’s future will be bright. I invite President Ghani to visit Croatia and see the country. I also wish to return to Afghanistan and strengthen our cooperation as soon as possible. I hope that our long-term cooperation agreement with Afghanistan will be signed soon.

As I told President Ghani, I come from a country that has experienced war and is now on a path of prosperity. My goal in Afghanistan is that Afghan children should have the same future and opportunities as children in Croatia, growing and developing. Our cooperation through ISAF is for Afghanistan. Our cooperation is for security, reforms, and a better future through NATO. It is a pleasure that Afghan forces have taken responsibility for Afghanistan’s security. I also want to congratulate Afghanistan on the peaceful and successful political transfer of power.

Questions and Answers

TV Journalist Arzo: Mr. President! [Addressing President Ghani] You said the war in Afghanistan is imposed. Specifically, by which country? Journalist: Madam President of Croatia, you said you would sign a cooperation agreement with the United States. Have discussions about this agreement taken place so far?

President of Croatia: We have made progress in this field. Currently, some administrative matters are being addressed in Croatia. We hope the agreement will be signed soon, likely when President Ghani visits Croatia. The experience we have gained from war is that our goals are to achieve the major national objectives of a country. Bilateral cooperation between Croatia and Afghanistan has always been based on friendship and relations. We want to expand our cooperation in economic and educational areas and in every field where we can continue our collaboration with Afghanistan.

I want to reaffirm the commitments we made at the Tokyo meeting, and I hope to see a free Afghanistan in the future. I can witness good cooperation between Croatia and Afghanistan in military, economic, political, and social fields, and I want to thank our Mufti Dr. Hassan for providing education and training to the soldiers sent to Afghanistan. I am pleased that the Afghan government is satisfied with the conduct and behavior of our soldiers.

Our experience confirms that excellent cooperation, dialogue among ethnic groups, and conversations among social classes are key to achieving peace and prosperity in a post-war country. Over the past 11 years, Croatia has cooperated with Afghanistan in various fields. Although our cooperation has not been extensive, I hope it will have positive and lasting effects. Croatia has focused on empowering women and girls in Afghanistan, reducing maternal mortality, and ensuring that our cooperation aligns with Afghanistan’s priorities.

Croatia has also implemented projects in remote Badakhshan, collaborated in the carpet industry, and built a primary school for 400 girls, supporting education and empowerment of girls. One of the best examples of bilateral cooperation is the construction of a training center with midwifery in Mazar-i-Sharif, as well as supporting institutions that empower women and children, and the Afghanistan-Croatia cooperation agreement. I can assure you that Croatia’s representative in the EU will raise Afghanistan’s voice and support NATO and European cooperation. We want to see further progress in the Afghan government in the future. Thank you very much for your hospitality. I hope that during my next visit, I will have productive meetings with various Afghan officials. I also appreciate the wise leadership of President Ghani, who is guiding Afghanistan toward prosperity.

President Ghani: The war is imposed because various elements have united to create an imposed war. One of these elements is the global criminal economy. Today, the criminal economy requires insecurity. The criminal economy facilitates international terrorist movements. The heroin produced in Afghanistan is transferred to transit and consumer countries. The main profits go to international traffickers, but internally, we must recognize a fundamental problem. Yesterday, a new survey was published: 5% of Afghan youth in cities and, unfortunately, 13% of rural youth are addicted. The days when we thought addiction was someone else’s problem are gone! This is a serious danger, as an addicted youth can become a destabilizing soldier.

Second, international terrorist networks target all our neighbors from India to Russia. They want to use Afghan territory to destabilize the region, the Islamic world, and the international community. The war we fight represents the world that believes in law, order, and an international system based on cooperation. The worst acts are carried out by people who have nothing to do with us. When they behead, their problem is not with Afghans or Afghanistan. Therefore, as a united nation, we must analyze and neutralize these threats. Recently, our security forces have taken extremely brave actions to protect this land.

The third danger is state collapse. Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya are examples. When state chains break, political elements opposing a democratic system emerge. Afghanistan’s Constitution, based on Islam, must be defended. Mr. Kashaf was involved in drafting the Constitution and oversaw half of the Constitutional Loya Jirga. Show me another Islamic constitution. Past interventions have not ended. We are seeking a fundamental and principled national framework. War is not a solution to internal issues; only cohesive, wise policy can unite all Afghans under one land. External solutions are required. In the region, a security and economic cooperation pact is needed. No country can handle these threats alone.

If we summarize, the Afghan people have suffered for 36 years. We have the right to breathe freely. We participated in elections freely despite challenges. The government is legitimate; the National Unity Government is a stable phenomenon. We defend our rightful interests while keeping the hope for peace alive. Journalist: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Regarding peace talks with the Taliban, are you confident that Pakistan is taking good steps in this regard? What actions will they take? Journalist: The Afghan government has long said it will negotiate peace with the Taliban. But the Taliban have always responded with threats and increased terrorist attacks. What is your view, Mr. President? Will peace succeed, or will war continue?

President Ghani: We respond to imposed war with war while never forgetting the sacred goal of peace. I don’t think further explanation is necessary. On another important topic, we define peace through a governmental system that ensures balance, equality, and national sovereignty. National sovereignty means cooperation among countries and no hostile relations. The 36-year legacy in Afghanistan is complicated because South Asia has not developed comprehensive rules of engagement. Croatia and Central Europe have faced similar experiences.

In Afghan-Pakistani peace efforts over the past 36 years, challenges have existed, but we are confident in achieving results. Progress in this regard benefits the region. Pakistan and Afghanistan, along with all our neighbors from India to Azerbaijan and Russia, face threats. These threats cross borders easily. Addressing them requires multiple perspectives and strategies. We envision Afghanistan as a center of trade and regional commerce. Afghanistan will not be a proxy battlefield. No party in the world can turn Afghanistan into their proxy war zone. Achieving these goals requires patience and time. We are confident that we will meet the expectations of the Afghan people. Poverty is another challenge. South Asian countries are economically the least developed globally. We are determined to achieve our goals. Thank you! Thank you, Madam President of Croatia.