Recently, in addition to the global crises escalating, regional rivalries and conflicts between major and middle powers are also increasing for various reasons; The most recent example of this was the direct military confrontation between India and Pakistan. In today’s world, on one hand, the conflicts between the USA, China, and Russia, and on the other hand, the crisis between the USA and Iran, as well as the increasing competitions and confrontations between India and China, are all factors that have further highlighted Afghanistan’s position in this context.
In the past nearly five decades, if we look closely, one of the main reasons for instability in Afghanistan was that the governments of the time were unable to maintain a balance between regional and global powers. Because of this, they neglected regional and internal sensitivities and nuances in Afghanistan, ultimately gambling away the Afghan people, Afghanistan’s international and national interests. They led Afghanistan into the abyss of troubles based on the empty promises of regional and global powers.
Now that these conflicts and crises have reached their peak, they have raised questions and concerns among some about the situation and future of Afghanistan, as if Afghanistan will again fall victim to these rivalries and competitions like in the past. However, if we look at the nearly four-year rule of the current caretaker government in Afghanistan, there are many reassuring reasons to believe that the past failed experiences will not be repeated in Afghanistan, and these rivalries and competitions will not only not harm Afghanistan’s internal stability and international status but will actually enhance them further.
The first reason is that Afghanistan, unlike in previous decades, has now achieved complete stability, has a strong central government, and contrary to expectations, the Afghan diplomatic apparatus has made significant achievements. All sensitivities at the national, regional, and international levels have been well understood, and most importantly, the foreign policy of the current Afghan government has been structured in such a way that there is no room for questioning, ambiguity, or conflict that would cause anyone to fear.
In the past four years, despite extensive international pressures on Afghanistan and its current government, this government has achieved significant and comprehensive accomplishments. It has brought stability to Afghanistan, maintained balanced relationships with neighboring, regional, and international countries based on mutual interests. This is why dozens of Afghan embassies and diplomatic missions in these countries were handed back to the current Afghan government, and these countries have shown a willingness to engage with Afghanistan, with this engagement increasing day by day.
Unlike the past, in the nearly four years, the current Afghan government has maintained good relations with Central Asian countries, including Iran and Pakistan. Even if there were occasional issues, they were not due to Afghanistan or the current Afghan government. Additionally, Afghanistan has maintained balanced relations with three regional powers (China, Russia, and India) in such a way that no side felt harmed by Afghanistan, and each side has made efforts to foster reciprocal relations with Afghanistan, which have all yielded positive outcomes.
Beyond the region, the current Afghan government’s policy was also clear to those countries that fought in Afghanistan for nearly twenty years and were defeated there. These countries, led by the United States and European nations, have now come to the conclusion that they are not facing any threat from Afghanistan and are trying in one way or another to engage positively with Afghanistan. The Afghan government has fulfilled its responsibilities well towards them; now it is up to them to put an end to the policies of confrontation, sanctions, and threats, and it seems that these countries have indeed reached this conclusion.
In conclusion, it can be said that considering the current Afghan government’s vigilant, successful, and clear foreign policies, Afghanistan will not again be a victim of regional and international power rivalries. Instead, Afghanistan will play a key role in solving regional and international problems, and its internal stability and global standing will further increase.
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