Goals of president’s trip to Pacific & South East Asia; Opportunities & Capacities

President Ghani has left for Australia, Singapore and Indonesia, heading a delegation. The main purpose of the visit, is said to exchange ideas and develop relations of Afghanistan with these countries, that in order to fulfill this, economic agreements, promotional and technical cooperation will be signed too.
Using the experience of these countries will provide appropriate opportunities for Afghanistan, in the fields of institution-building and economic development and these countries are eager to conduct necessary cooperation with Afghanistan, considering the threats and common points.
Australia, Singapore and Indonesia have special place in the foreign policy circles of Afghanistan and national unity government has always stressed on comparative advantages of these countries’ experiences …

Afghanistan and Australia
Australia is counted as one of Afghanistan’s major allies in the last one and a half decade; this country has made considerable contributions to create and fortify stability and security, economic growth, training security forces, institution-building and developing human capacities of agencies, cooperation in science, technology and Knowledge, during past years.
Right now, security forces of that country are engaged in training Afghan security forces, in the form of resolute support forces and this country pledged to help Afghanistan $ 600 million per year by 2020. Australian authorities have announced that the country is eager to give a hand to Afghanistan in the fields of narcotic drug, providing security, capacity building, human rights, women and children, agriculture and.

Australia has a rare experience in the world on the parts of mining, agriculture and livestock development and it is counted as one of the best countries of the world by exporting tens of billions dollars in this area. Desire for cooperation and Australia’s extensive experiences in the above areas, encouraged Afghanistan more to attract the broad and long-term cooperation of that country. In addition to strategic agreements and ongoing cooperation between the two countries, now new agreements have also been signed with that country, during current visit of the president. According to the new agreements, Australia will help Afghanistan in the fields of infrastructure, education, women employment, agriculture, and water management and counter-corruption programs.

Afghanistan and Singapore
Singapore is in the fourth circles of Afghanistan’s foreign policy and this Southeast Asian country, has a lot of lessons in political, economic, trade and institution-building for Afghanistan. Singapore was the place of political conflicts among its powerful neighbors after achieving its independence and had passed a geopolitical situation, similar to Afghanistan. Attracting financial and political support of America and Britain, led this country to somehow maintain a balance of power among its powerful neighbors and changed into an economic cooperation center of these countries.
The country’s great efforts to be an air transit hub of Western countries and attracting regional ad beyond region investments, made Singapore a powerful country in the area of economic development, which is called as Asia “Tiger.”

This country also has a lot of experience in the fields of counter-corruption, simplification of rules and attracting outside investors for Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s policy to become the region’s center of transit, requires a modern and well-equipped landlocked ports, that Singapore can help Afghanistan in this part too.
Singapore is also eager to change the situation in Afghanistan as the Heart of Asia, due to critical threats that feels in Central and south of Asia.

Afghanistan and Indonesia
Indonesia is the strongest economy in Southeast Asia and the largest Muslim country in terms of population. This country has a lot of experience about agriculture and can provide significant opportunities for Afghanistan. Currently, about fifty million citizens of that country are engaged in agricultural work, as well as having vocational experience and knowledge in the area of mining, oil and gas and interested in cooperation with Afghanistan. Tourism industry is also a significant boom in that country and can share its experiences for the development of tourism industry with Afghanistan.

Extremism and terrorism, religious commonalities and … are common between the two countries. Indonesia is also being threatened from extremism and has suffered harms in this regard, that the example was the Bali attacks. For this reason, extremism was considered a common threat, at a joint meeting between Afghanistan and Indonesia’s religious scholars.

Extending foreign policy and opportunities ahead
Afghanistan currently has a good relation with countries of the world, except Pakistan and efforts are underway to change the diplomatic character into an appropriate capacity, in order to use the vocational and technical experiences and supports of other countries. Expansion of Afghanistan’s foreign policy in the form of five mentioned circles, will provide capacities, facilities and opportunities for Afghanistan to strengthen security forces, capacity building, economic development, agricultural and livestock growth and institutionalization.

Undoubtedly, possible threats arising from strengthening extremism and terrorism in Afghanistan, has provided the global context of cooperation for Afghanistan and it seems that the government of Afghanistan has started greater efforts to make use of this potential and turn it into widespread practical cooperation and according to international experts, Afghanistan has got great achievements and success in the area of foreign policy.

Zia Danish – (DID) news agency
Translated by: Taher Mojab