The Afghan Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah along with a delegation of senior officials traveled to Saudi Arabia. In this three day trip Abdullah was accompanied by Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, Minister of Commerce and Industries, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the caretaker governor of Balkh and the chief executive of Jamiat-e-Islami Atta Mohammad Noor and some other senior government officials.
Dr. Abdullah and his companions, in this trip, met the Saudi King Salman Abdul Aziz, the Crown Prince and Minister of Interior Mohammad bin Nayef, the Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammad bin Salman and Ministers of Islamic Affairs Calls and Guidance, Education, Commerce and investment, Finance, Justice and some other senior Saudi officials and they also came to agreement on various issues.
Here you would read about the purposes and achievements of this trip, the background of relations between the Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia and the NUG-Saudi ties.
The background of the bilateral relations
Afghanistan has long and historical relation with Saudi Arabia. The friendship agreement between the two countries was signed in 1932 and King of Saudi Arabia at the time Malik Faisal visited Afghanistan in 1349. The Afghan-Saudi ties were friendly during Dauod Khan’s rule in Afghanistan but in the aftermath of 1357 coup d’état relations between the two countries were deteriorated.
During the Afghan Jihad against the Soviet Union, Saudi Arabia financially and diplomatically supported Afghan mujahedeen.. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia was one of the three countries that recognized the Taliban regime but after the 9/11 incident, Saudi Arabia along with United Arab Emirates, which had formerly recognized the Taliban regime, cut ties with the Taliban regime.
After the creation of an interim government, under Hamid Karzai, in Afghanistan in 2001, once again, relations between the two countries was established and, in Tokyo Conference, Saudi Arabia pledged $220m in aid to Afghanistan. Thus Saudi Arabia pursued a new policy towards Afghanistan. In the meanwhile the Afghan senior officials also paid visits to Riyadh. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited Saudi Arabia twice in 2005 and once in 2010 and, generally, the two countries enjoyed good relations in the two terms of Karzai’s rule in Afghanistan and the two countries signed agreements of cooperation in various areas.
NUG’s relations with Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia holds an important place in the NUG’s foreign policy. Right after swearing in, Ghani announced his foreign policy doctrine where Saudi Arabia came in the second circle of his foreign policy (Islamic countries).
The Afghan President went on first unofficial foreign trip to Saudi Arabia and in the past two years he has visited thrice to the kingdom.
On the other hand, Afghanistan was among the countries that announced their support from Saudi Arabia’s stance in Yemen and later Afghanistan also entered in Saudi-led anti-terrorism coalition.
Afghanistan between Iran and Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Arabia’s role, as the center of Islamic world, cannot be ignored neither in politics nor among the public in Afghanistan. On the other hand, Iran, with 950 km common border, has religious, cultural and language commonalities with Afghanistan and has had long historical and relatively good relations with Kabul.
The cold war between these two rival countries has started ever since the Islamic revolution in Iran. Afghanistan and particularly Jihadi groups, during the Afghan Jihad against the Soviet Union, had strong relations with the two rival countries which has influenced the Afghan foreign policy during Civil War, the Taliban regime and even in the past one and half decade.
In the past 15 years, compared to Kabul-Riyadh relations, the Kabul-Tehran relations were closer. But after the formation of the NUG, the Kabul-Riyadh ties improved. When President Ghani announced his support from Saudi Arabia in Yemen case, he was pressurized by some political circles and stakeholders of the government and, after that time, the NUG has tried to remain impartial between Riyadh and Tehran[1].
Currently the two countries (Iran and Saudi) are engaged in proxy war, in cultural and religious fields, in Afghanistan; for instance, we witnessed some propaganda, by some circles, against the construction of an Islamic center and university in Kabul and Jalalabad by Saudi Arabia.
Generally, the NUG has succeeded to maintain necessary balance, based on common intercourse and cooperation, in its relations with both Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Recent visit of the Afghan Chief Executive to Saudi Arabia
The Afghan Chief Executive along with a delegation of government officials visited Riyadh on Monday 17 October 2016. Besides the senior government officials, some Afghan traders and the deputy High Peace Council of Afghanistan was also among the Afghan delegation. This trip had economic and trade purposes and besides that the problems of Afghan workers in Saudi and peace talks with the Taliban was also the objectives of the trip. In this trip the main issues of focus was as follows:
Peace: although, in the past one and half decade, Saudi has not played a significant role in improving the Kabul-Islamabad relations nor has it done anything for peace talks with the Taliban. But yet it is believed that Saudi Arabia can play a significant role, if it is willing to, in the Afghan peace process. Therefore, in his meeting with the Saudi King Salman Abdul Aziz, the Afghan Chief Executive demanded Saudi’s assistance in the peace process. The King of Saudi Arabia, in response, said that his country wants improved Kabul-Islamabad relations and would help to maintain peace and stability in Afghanistan as much as he can.
Politics: in his meeting with, the King of Saudi Arabia, the Afghan Chief Executive said that Afghanistan has now become a member of Saudi-led anti-terrorism coalition and supports the Saudi Arabia in Yemen issue. In addition he emphasized that, now is the time when Saudi Arabia must provide help to fight against terrorism so that some countries in the region stop supporting terrorism[2].
Economics: expansion of trade between the two countries and Riyadh’s investment in energy sector in Afghanistan were also of the main issues discussed between the Afghan Chief Executive and Saudi officials. Dr. Abdullah invited Arab investors to invest in Afghanistan and the Saudi Minster of Commerce and Investments, in a meeting with Abdullah, pledged to send a technical team to inspect investment environment in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, the Afghan workers issue in Saudi Arabia, which despite vast relations between the two countries has not been resolved in the past 15 years, was also raised by the Afghan Chief Executive. In a meeting between Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior and the Afghan Chief Executive, the two sides discussed and came to agreements regarding changing the Pakistani passports of Afghan workers, distribution of Afghan passports to them and granting work licenses to the Afghan workers in Saudi Arabia.
Education and Culture: in this trip, the Afghan Chief Executive, demanded from Saudi senior officials that, besides construction of a major Islamic Center in Kabul and an Islamic University in Jalalabad, this country must focus in other areas as well.
The Saudi Minster of Education Dr. Ahmad Issa, in his meeting with Dr. Abdullah, pledged an annual 400 scholarships to Afghan students and said that, in order to properly coordinate and facilitate these scholarships, he will appoint an educational attaché in Saudi Embassy in Kabul[3].
The end
[1] Read CSRS’ analysis in this regard:
https://csrsaf.org/en/blog/the-saudi-iran-tussle-and-its-impacts-on-afghanistan-and-the-region/
[2] Read more here: http://ceo.gov.af/fa/news/159577
[3] Read more here: http://ceo.gov.af/fa/news/159574