The Heart of Asia Conference 2021

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April 9, 2021
Hamna Sajjad
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The Heart of Asia (HoA-IP) is also known as the Istanbul Process. It was founded on November 2n 201, in Istanbul Turkey. It is an international platform which was established in order to address the challenged and interests of countries in Asia, such as the incitement to religious hatred and discrimination and to combat hare

The Heart of Asia (HoA-IP) is also known as the Istanbul Process. It was founded on November 2ⁿ201, in Istanbul Turkey. It is an international platform which was established in order to address the challenged and interests of countries in Asia, such as the incitement to religious hatred and discrimination and to combat hare speech. But it gives special attention to regional security, economic and political cooperation and peace in Afghanistan because the stability of the country affects the challenges and interests of its neighbors and regional partners, such as the challenge of terrorism.

The Afghan peace process is a result of numerous negotiations between the Taliban, the United States (US) and the Afghan government. The provisions of this agreement include the withdrawal of all American and NATO troops from Afghanistan, a Taliban pledge to prevent Al-Qaeda from operating in areas under the Taliban control and for there to be talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Afghanistan, as a landlocked country neighboring China, Pakistan, Iran and Central Asian countries, has a significant geopolitical importance. Instability in the country means instability in the countries neighboring it. But, the nation is also rich in natural resources, gas, minerals and oil, which some estimate to be worth more than a trillion US dollars. Pakistan, being the neighboring country, has been a constant facilitator in the peace process.

In the HoA-IP, there are fifteen participating countries, including China, India and Uzbekistan, along with countries from the Southwest/ Middle East region – Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates (UAE). There are seventeen countries that support this platform, including the France, Spain, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. There are also twelve organizations which support the platform, including the United Nations, the European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The importance of HoA-IP is indicated by the list of international organizations which support it along with it being an Asian plat from which stands against religious intolerance. This is evident by the HoA-IP having adopted the United Nations Resolution 16/18 and its sister General Assembly resolution 66/167. Yet, more than this, it has become a platform which allows Afghanistan’s near and extended neighbors to come together and engage in constructive dialogue, discussing challenges and finding solutions.

The significance of this platform is understood from its three main pillars: firstly, political consultation. The platform provides all participating and interest countries as well as the organizations to come together and discuss political affairs which are of priority for the region whilst keeping Afghanistan at the center. Secondly, Confidence Building Measures (CBMs). These measures provide frameworks on specific issues which are a priority for the region, and this allows the countries and organizations to place their efforts correctly in reaching and adopting a CBMs specific Implementation Plan. Thirdly, Cooperation with Regional Organizations. The plat form not only stresses upon creating cooperation with other regional organizations and their efforts in supporting the need for security, economic cooperation and people to people relations in the region, but it also supports and compliments their work, especially when it comes to Afghanistan.

Since the launch of the HoA-IP, there have been six expert-level meetings in: Washington, London UK and London Canada, Geneva, Doha, Jeddah, and Singapore. However, after the meeting in Singapore which took place in 2016, there was a three-year gap, after which the eighth meeting was held at Geneva in 2019. This year, on the 30^th of March, the ninth HoA-IP Ministerial Conference was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and the theme of the conference was the “Strengthening Consensus for Peace and Development.”

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, departed for the meeting a day prior and it was stated that in the meeting, he will be delivering a statement which will highlight Pakistan’s positive contributions to the Afghan peace process and the country’s support for Afghanistan’s development and connectivity.

At the meeting, the Foreign Minister expressed that no nation could claim to have immutable bonds with Afghanistan like Pakistan can and that the reason why “We gave arrived at this stage” is because of the “conviction that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan”. This belief, he claimed, “is imperative” and need to continue to guide the Afghan parties and the international communities in supporting the aspirations of the Afghan people. He further expressed his concern for the continuing violence across Afghanistan and that the risks posed by damaged infrastructure and lack of economic opportunities may “undermine the gains” which can come about by the peace process, as well as any land gained by ISIS and Al-Qaeda would only increase the already existing threat of terrorism.

His main points of focus, which he highlighted, included making sure reduction in violence and ceasefire are achieved at the earliest; securing international community’s financial engagement to support Afghanistan in its post-conflict path to progress; planning a long-term reconstruction and economic development for Afghanistan; and, creating pull factors for the Afghan refugees so that they can return to their homeland with dignity and honor through a time-bound and well-resourced plan. Furthermore, he also stated that Pakistan is committed to investing $1 billion for Afghanistan’s development and reconstruction, with nearly $500 million have already been spent on infrastructure and capacity-building projects.

Moreover, the Minister of External Affairs for India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, expressed that “A stable, sovereign and peaceful Afghanistan is truly the basis for peace and progress in our region.” It is, thus, imperative he said that the country is freed from “terrorism, violent extremism and drug and criminal syndicates”. He also expressed that the “continued involvement of foreign fighters in Afghanistan is particularly disturbing”, for which the HoA-IP members should “make it a priority to press for an immediate reduction in violence, leading to a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.”

Furthermore, similar to the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, the Minister of External Affairs for India expressed that India would invest $3 billion in Afghanistan, aiming to make the country a self-sustaining nation, with having a “dedicated Air Freight Corridor between the cities of India and Afghanistan” being a part of their efforts.

It was estimated that around fifty countries and international organizations would be attending this conference. This conference is being viewed as a game changed and, it should also be noted that, the conference comes in advance of another meeting in Turkey which will be organized by the United Nations, in which both the Taliban and the Afghan government are expected to attend.