Adela Raz Says Normalisation of Ties With Taliban Administration Is Expanding
Adela Raz, Afghanistan’s former ambassador to the United States, has said that the process of normalising relations between countries and the Taliban administration is expanding, and that a number of countries, despite refraining from formal recognition, have in practice continued their contacts and diplomatic relations.
She made the remarks on Tuesday, 3 Sonbola, at an event on Afghanistan in Washington, a meeting organised by the National Endowment for Democracy. According to her, each country has acted on the basis of its own priorities and, within that framework, has eased restrictions on the Taliban administration.
Ms Raz said: “Whether we are happy about it or not, the process of normalisation of relations between countries and the Taliban is under way. Each country has tried to identify its priority and act on that basis, and to reduce restrictions [against the Taliban].”
She added that although countries publicly say they have not recognised the Taliban administration, diplomatic relations below the ambassadorial level remain in place. According to her, this has created a kind of ambiguity that does not make clear where the exact line lies between non-recognition and practical engagement.
In part of her remarks, Raz stressed that the people’s demands should be at the centre of any process concerning Afghanistan’s future. She said the people of Afghanistan are seeking a future in which, beyond basic demands such as the right to education and work, they can see their place.
The former Afghan ambassador also emphasised women’s presence in any political and national process for the country’s future, saying that excluding women would not make any process sustainable. She further described justice as one of the essential elements of any transition.
According to her, one of the mistakes of the past was “sacrificing justice for peace.” Raz said that during the drafting of the constitution at the start of the republican system, as well as in the Doha process, justice was pushed aside, and this approach weakened the basis for lasting peace.
The National Endowment for Democracy is a US-based organisation that holds programmes related to democracy and political developments in countries. Raz’s remarks come as debate over countries’ engagement with the Taliban administration, after its return to power, remains one of the contentious issues surrounding Afghanistan.
