Germany: Berlin to use 'all the diplomatic tools' to reach ceasefire in Afghanistan - govt spox

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Germany is pushing with ‘all the diplomatic tools’ for a ceasefire and a political solution for the crisis in Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister’s spokesperson Maria Adebahr said during a weekly government press conference in Berlin on Monday.

“We want to pursue the talks in Doha and we have made repeatedly clear that a military forced shift of power won’t be accepted. A sustainable and peaceful way for Afghanistan is by means of negotiation and that’s why we push with all the diplomatic tools that we have for a continuation of the talks in Doha,” said Adebahr, referring to two back-to-back international meetings planned later this week in the Qatari capital between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Asked about the possibility of Germany intervening in Afghanistan again following the withdrawal of its troops, Defence Ministry’s spokesperson Arne Collatz stated: “We would need political goals, a mandate to go back there and also we would need a political majority. We can all observe that these are not given and that’s why I don’t believe that we should go again in a combat mission in Afghanistan.”

“I don’t believe that we should go again in a combat mission in Afghanistan one month after the withdrawal of German troops,” Collatz added.

Government spokesperson Ulrike Demmer also announced that Germany will be donating more vaccines to countries in need through the COVAX initiative, listing the doses given to several developing countries, including Sudan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, Maria Adebahr, Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson (German): “We want to pursue the talks in Doha and we have made repeatedly clear that a military forced shift of power won’t be accepted. A sustainable and peaceful way for Afghanistan is by means of negotiation and that’s why we push with all the diplomatic tools that we have for a continuation of the talks in Doha, also with representatives of the Taliban, for the talks to be constructive, for the Taliban to bring forward a ceasefire and for them to step in serious talks leading to a political solution in Afghanistan.”

SOT, Arne Collatz, Defence Ministry’s spokesperson (German): “You know the conditions for military deployment in foreign countries. It is a rigorously controlled process. For that, we would need political goals, a mandate to go back there and also we would need a political majority. We can all observe that these are not given and that’s why I don’t believe that we should go again in a combat mission in Afghanistan one month after the withdrawal of German troops”.

SOT, Arne Collatz, Defence Ministry’s spokesperson (German): “The withdrawal from Afghanistan was decided internationally. You know that the armed forces alone are not capable of controlling. This is a task that started together, we entered the country together, we shaped it together, and reformulated it once and over again, in order to attain in the best way possible the established political goals. Now it is such, that the withdrawal of Afghanistan was decided together, therefore the question of individual responsibility is hereby not relevant.”

SOT, Maria Adebahr, Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson (German): “What is happening in the Kunduz region does not mean on Monday morning that we should change our premise. And that premise is that only a political negotiation can lead to durable peace there. The fact that this is difficult and that it gets stuck, that we could see in the weeks before. Nonetheless, it also remains true that we cannot accept armed violence and forced power structure. Instead, we need a political solution.”

SOT, Maria Adebahr, Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson (German): “I can inform you that concerning the Foreign Office, we are preparing an updated report of the current situation.”

SOT, Ulrike Demmer, Government spokesperson (German): “The first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccines from the supply agreements of the federal government will go through Covax to the following countries: Afghanistan, 213,600 vaccine doses); Ethiopia, 271,200 doses; Sudan, 257,600 doses); Tajikistan, 100,800 doses; and Uzbekistan, 355,200 doses.”

SOT, Ulrike Demmer, Government spokesperson (German): “Those are countries that according to the World Health Organisation​ and the global vaccines alliance Gavi have a special high need and can also immediately use these vaccines in their vaccination campaign. That is important, as the vaccines should be employed as fast as possible to prevent further waves of infections.”

#Bundespressekonferenz #Germany #Deutschland #AfghanistanConflict #Afghanistan

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