Putin: Compensations Should Be Made to Afghanistan

By Saeedullah Safi

“Due to the losses caused to Afghanistan in the wars of the last few years, this country should be compensated.” said Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 6th meeting of leaders of member countries of the Asian Relations and Confidence Building Conference (SICA) in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan on Thursday.

According to the report of the Russian Tass news agency, Putin did not mention the name of any specific country in this regard and requested that the assets of Afghanistan frozen abroad should be released.

The President of Russia is talking about paying the war damages in Afghanistan while the Afghans suffered heavy personal and financial losses during the invasion of Afghanistan by the forces of the former Soviet Union.

A few years before the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, a group called "Afghanistan Free Muslim Foundation" asked Russia, as the successor of the former Soviet Union, to compensate Afghanistan for the losses caused by the Red Army in the war. At that time, this society called the invasion of the Soviet Union forces on Afghanistan "barbaric" and "the greatest crime of the century".

During his speech at the SICA summit, President Putin also mentioned the current situation in Afghanistan as an important security challenge in the region and requested that the countries should work together for the economic reconstruction of Afghanistan.

In his speech, Putin mentioned the problems of food shortage and high energy prices at the international level and emphasized that the leaders of the member countries of the organization have a joint responsibility to solve them.

Many researchers state that this meeting provides an opportunity for the Russian president to strengthen his relations with other countries, especially considering the war in Ukraine.

At the meeting, Iran's President stated that the solution for Afghanistan currently is to build an inclusive government, including all ethnic groups and religious groups through dialogue. He added that Afghanistan should maintain bilateral relations, according to international commitments, and especially with the neighbouring countries.