Afghanistan tops Russia's Security Council presidency agenda

Afghanistan tops Russia's Security Council presidency agenda:
In its leadership role on the Security Council, Russia willinitiate discussion and debate on the situation in Afghanistan,where US-led international forces have fought a committed adversarysince shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11,2001.

“The main issue of Russia’s chairmanship will be the situationin Afghanistan,” the ministry report emphasized. “Thiscountry is entering a very responsible stage of its development,which requires new efforts from the people of Afghanistan andconsolidated support from the entire international community, withthe UN playing an unconditional central coordinating role.”

Russia has good reason to be concerned about the situation inAfghanistan: Since the beginning of hostilities, which pittedCoalition forces against a motley crew of Taliban and Al-Qaedamilitants, the region has experienced not only an influx ofterrorists but also a massive spike in drug trafficking acrossEurope and Russia.

According to the Federal Drug Service, 106 tons of illegal drugs –mostly in the form of heroin cultivated from Afghan opium poppy –were seized in Russia last year, a 70 percent jump from 2011.

In light of the obvious failures of attempting to fundamentallychange Afghanistan through military power alone, the US is planningto bring home an estimated 34,000 American troops of the 66,000 nowserving in Afghanistan. In August, President Putin warned that Washington may be pulling outof the country before their mission is completed.

"It is regrettable that many participants in this operation arethinking about how to pull out of there," the Russian leadersaid. "They took up this burden and should carry it to theend."
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on March 19 to addressthe situation and “adopt a resolution extending the mandate ofthe UN mission to assist Afghanistan," the report said. Themeeting will be chaired by Russian Foreign Minister SergeyLavrov.

Meanwhile, Syria’s two-year political crisis, in which forces loyalto President Bashar Assad are engaged in a war against a determinedrebel opposition, will continue to be a subject of debate for theSecurity Council.

Vitaly Churkin, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UnitedNations, will chair the UN Security Council meeting on Friday.Churkin summarized Russia’s position on the Syriancrisis: “[The] violence must stop… dialogue must be establishedwithout precondition.”

The Russian ambassador to the UN emphasized that both sides of theconflict should commit themselves to the “Geneva document ofJune 2012, which, we believe, should serve as the consensus basisfor dialogue,” and said that “we can’t resolve that crisisfor [the Syrian people].”

During its month-long presidency of the Security Council, Russiawill also focus attention on the Middle East crisis in an effort toassist the Quartet on the Middle East – composed of the UnitedNations, the United States, the European Union and Russia – toachieve a “comprehensive regional settlement," the ministryreport said.

The UN Charter states that the Security Council presidency rotateson a monthly basis according to the alphabetical order of themember-states' official UN names. The Security Council presidencyinvolves “setting the agenda, presiding at its meetings, andoverseeing any crisis” that may arise.