French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner

PARIS. October 13. At the EastWest Institute’s second consultation on “Alternative Futures for Afghanistan and the Stability of Southwest Asia,” hosted by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speakers pleaded for a more determined process of national reconciliation and a more focused international aid effort in Afghanistan. In his keynote speech, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner urged top Afghan politicians Hamid Karzai and opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah to put aside their differences and work together to tackle the current crisis. "Yes, for a national unity government," he said.

Prince Nadir Naim, grandson of the last king of Afghanistan, expressed the need for a national unity initiative that is supported by the Afghan government as well as all the international players actively involved in Afghanistan. "The core principle of this idea is to encourage and convince my countrymen to put down their guns and enter a national dialogue for peace," he said. He urged a new emphasis on local mechanisms such as Jirgas (tribal gatherings), "to resolve disputes and help govern peacefully."

EWI Senior Fellow Hekmat Karzai, Director of the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies in Kabul, urged a new dialogue with the Taliban, "not just to end the conflict, but for the right purpose." He added: "Many of the Taliban are not fighting because they believe in Bin Laden’s Jihad against the West but because they have other grievances."

Omar Samad, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to France, said: "Either we listen to the wishes of our masses and care about the generations to come to formulate a genuine vision for peace, prosperity and cooperation, or we pay lip service and continue on the path that is cosmetic and leads to nowhere."