Two days ago, the Head of Parliament, Ivica Dačić, revealed that peace negotiations between the authorities of Afghanistan and the Taliban were organized in Belgrade, with the permission of the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić. That information surprised the domestic public. As we have learned, the negotiations were conducted in the state diplomatic villa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. in Bulevar Kneza Aleksandra Karađorđevića 26, where regular diplomatic activities are performed.
FOTO: MILOŠ MILIVOJEVIĆ / TANJUG
Ivica Dačić is now revealing interesting details of these conversations for “Blic”.
– One thing is especially interesting. The day after one such meeting in our premises, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov came to visit. In such situations, a counter-diversion review is always performed. It happened that a police dog for detecting explosives sniffed something around an armchair. And then they carried that chair for examination, that is, for forensics. They found that there were some gunpowder particles or explosive particles there. And that is exactly where one of the negotiators, from the rebels, the Taliban, was sitting. That means that they came directly from the front to negotiate – Dačić told “Blic”.
Ivica Dačić says that a day later, Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov told him that personally.
When it comes to the organization of these meetings, Ivica Dačić states that the proposal for the negotiations to be held in Belgrade came from the representative of the Afghan Peace Council, and that he then asked the President of Serbia for approvals, and Vučić approved.
– It all went like this, the Afghan Peace Council addressed the East-West Bridge led by Jovan Kovačić. They asked us if we would like to support it logistically, they wanted to negotiate right here, in Serbia, because we are neither in the East nor in the West. The only thing they asked for was to guarantee discretion, that is, not to publish anything about the negotiations and not to leak information to the media. We respected that. They came three times, negotiations between the Taliban and the leadership were organized here three times in Kabul, and nothing leaked anywhere – Dačić explains.
They demanded that secrecy be guaranteed
He also points out that these were not secret negotiations when it comes to the international community, because their representatives, including diplomats from Western countries, also attended them.
– They were secret only when it comes to the public. Serbia did not interfere in the negotiations, we were just the hosts. And all parties were pleased with our role. Later, those negotiations continued in other countries – concludes Dačić.
Two days ago, the Head of Parliament said that he personally hosted the Taliban delegation, and that, on the other end, the then President of Afghanistan was on a video link. He said that there were representatives of the Taliban in Belgrade, that is, some of their factions.
– They talked here three times, but later it was taken over by the great powers when they saw that we were doing it – they said “we will do it in Doha, in Qatar”. The result can be seen – said Dačić.
As he said at the time, “the atmosphere was correct and the common assessment is that progress was made at that time, a truce was declared.”
Dačić added that Serbia, as the host of those peace negotiations, made a good story with Afghanistan, in the sense that both sides, the Taliban and the then government in Kabul are grateful to us.
– Until today, I have never talked about it anywhere, because we agreed that it should be a secret, that is, that it should not be published so that the negotiations would not be ruined – said Dačić.
It would be beneficial for Serbia if the negotiations had succeeded
The president of the Forum for Strategic Studies (FORST), Neven Cvetićanin, is not surprised that Belgrade hosted peace talks between the Taliban and the then Afghan government.
– In diplomatic circles, more or less was known about those negotiations, but they were secret for the public so that both sides would not be disturbed. Serbia was taken as a neutral country, in the middle between East and West. If there was success in the peace negotiations, that would certainly be a diplomatic plus for our country. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Later, the great powers moved the negotiations to Qatar and Doha – Cvetićanin emphasizes for “Blic”.
FOTO: DEJAN BRIZA / RAS SRBIJ
And the President of the Board of Directors of the Forum for Ethnic Relations Dusan Janjic stresses for “Blic” that the organization of secret peace talks is not uncommon in diplomatic practice.
– Peace talks are conducted on the main and the surrounding scene. Belgrade was that surrounding scene. It was important to create an atmosphere for negotiations, to ensure the arrival and departure from the country of 40 commanders of various Taliban factions operating in Afghanistan. It is important that Serbia is recognized as a country that is acceptable to both sides in these negotiations, but also that it can bear the burden of those negotiations. However, that does not speak about our influence on the course of peace negotiations. After all, those negotiations did not succeed in the end – emphasizes Dušan Janjić from the Forum for Ethnic Relations.
[Blic]