Pakistan, along with China, Iran, and Russia, opposes the establishment of Afghanistan military bases, calling for respect for Kabul’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Pakistan, along with regional heavyweights China, Iran, and Russia, has teamed up to oppose a military presence in and around Afghanistan, while also calling for respect for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The coordinated stand, expressed in a joint statement on Saturday, represents an apparent increase in regional solidarity against foreign military presence in Afghanistan.
U.S. Military Presence and Afghanistan Military Bases Debate
The statement came as U.S. President Donald Trump is vowing to take back Bagram Air base in Afghanistan, regardless of developments in country, as that is Washington’s strategic interest. The idea of foreign military bases in and around Afghanistan is viewed as a source of long-term instability and an increase in regional tension – we cannot view foreign military bases as a solution.
https://civiclens.in/bagram-air-base-us-afghanistan-tensions-trump-threat/.
The position came on Thursday as part of the Fourth Quadripartite Meeting of Foreign Ministers of China, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia taking place on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly. The four nations reiterated, a Pakistan Foreign Office statement indicated, that Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity should be observed. The declaration also clearly opposed the reestablishment of foreign military bases by outside powers “guilty of the current situation,” addressing concerns over foreign intervention
Geopolitical Interests of Pakistan, China, Iran, and Russia
The geopolitics of this collective stance reflects regional interests related to bordering great powers. Both China and Russia worry about U.S. influence on their borders and, to some extent, want Afghanistan not to become a launching pad for the destabilization of Central and South Asia. Iran focuses it’s long border with Afghanistan to control extremists and drugs that could flow in their country. For Pakistan, there is tension in trying to balance counterterrorism operations with internal security, while maintaining influence in relation to the internal developments in the Afghan government.
Shift Toward Regional Solutions
This collective observation of a unified resistance to any foreign military presence signals a subtle shift toward regional solutions in regard to the security matrix of Afghanistan. By forcefully presenting a unified front, Pakistan, China, Iran, and Russia are also making clear that they prefer multilateral diplomacy, rather than unilateral action, to address Afghanistan’s endemic instability. This coalition may influence discussions of coordination for counterterrorism efforts, and the potential for regional economic development programs.
Overall, the joint statement is in effect as much about asserting the defense of Afghan sovereignty as it is about the broader strategic calculations of regional actors who want to contain external influence while also preserving their own security interests.
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