Indonesia ready to help facilitate peace in Afghanistan

Jakarta, wapresri.go.id – Indonesia, when asked, is willing to help facilitate peace process in Afghanistan.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated this when he received the delegation of High Peace Council of Afghanistan (HPC) at the Vice Presidential Palace, Jalan Merdeka Selatan, Jakarta on Wednesday (Nov. 22) afternoon. A day earlier, the delegation led by its chairman Mohammed Karim Khalili met with President Jokowi along with Vice President Jusuf Kalla and several ministers at Bogor Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java.

According to the Vice President, as a country with a majority Muslim population, Indonesia also holds the responsibility to realize peace in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, the Vice President said, Indonesia has some experience in dealing with conflicts. Since its independence, he said, Indonesia experienced 15 major conflicts, 10 of which were resolved with military approaches, and 5 remaining conflicts were resolved peacefully.

“Indonesia’s experience in dealing with these conflicts can be a consideration in the peace process in Afghanistan,” he said.

The Vice President then underlined, the key to peaceful conflict resolution is compromise. The warring parties, he further said, should be willing to sit together in a negotiation and make compromises that result in a win-win solution.

“Indonesia is open to sending clerical delegates and conflict resolution experts to assist the reconciliation process in Afghanistan. However, the settlement process must be in accordance with the conditions of Afghanistan,” he affirmed.

The 35 HPC delegates visited Indonesia to see first-hand the situation of religious tolerance and diversity in Indonesia. In addition to meeting with the President and Vice President, the delegates also held discussions with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Nahdhatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, and academics.

With 64 members representing 14 ethnic groups in Afghanistan, the HPC is an independent body mandated by the Afghan government to accelerate the realization of peace in Afghanistan. (AKS/FM, KIP Setwapres)