Society 379

SOCIETY
Afghanistan: Where
the sun is re-arising
H.E. Manizha Bakhtari, Ambassador of
Afghanistan, speaks about the goals and
objectives of her term and the future
prospects of her country.
Your term as Ambassador officially
started in March this year. Which
goals did you set for yourself and
what are the most pressing issues you
would like to work on?
During my term in Vienna, peace-building,
state-building, economic cooperation,
networking with Vienna-based
organizations, serving and protecting
Afghans in our working area, and
safeguarding women’s rights are my
priorities. Afghanistan offers immense
potential for development. Therefore,
lobbying for increased foreign investments
in Afghan businesses and industries
rises to the top of the agenda.
Due to the history of war in my country,
the economy has become dependent
on foreign aid. But if we consider our
optimal location as a conduit of trade
for Central Asia, South Asia, and Europe,
with energy demands, particularly
on energy-rich countries in Central
Asia for energy-hungry countries in
South Asia and Europe, our geography
gains more importance.
Together with our partners, our joint efforts
in the economic field have already
produced large-scale regional projects
such as the TAPI Gas Pipeline or the
CASA 1000 Electricity Transmission
Line for example. Empowering women
remains a critical part of my job as well.
That is why we embed gender values in
our laws and institutional frameworks.
The prolonged violence claimed the
lives of many men, impacting family
structures and their economic realities.
Through our Relief and Recovery
Pillar, we boost women’s capacity to
become professionals. Women are leading
producers of Afghanistan’s major
export commodities—carpets, dried
fruits, saffron and pomegranates. The
quality of these products can compete
globally. However, we need access to
those markets. Peace and stability also
contribute to economic growth. Designing
peace negotiations with Afghans
in the lead ensures two invaluable
outcomes. First, an Afghan-led peace
process remains the optimal method
of imbuing our people with a sense of
ownership. Second, Afghans are the
best advocate for their interests.
In this vein, women should be at the
negotiating table. The international
community frequently promulgates
this ideal, so we anticipate broad
support, particularly from powerful
women. Afghanistan still needs broad
support, so networks are imperative.
Vienna bears significant weight in
international gatherings. Consequently,
deeper ties with Vienna-based
organizations would prove advantageous
for us. All the components of my
agenda contribute to one overarching
vision: to portray the true image of
Afghanistan; a country with the drive
and potential to become peaceful and
prosperous.
The bilateral relations between Afghanistan
and Austria date back to the
1950s – how would you describe the
current connections between the two
countries?
We have developed our relations
across sectors—culture, sports, trade,
but we intend to deepen this relationship.
Our shared reverence for the
same ideals—democracy, pluralism,
human rights, and rule of law—facilitates
this objective. Both countries
aim to sustain growth, jobs, basic
social services, peace, stability, and
democracy in Afghanistan. Afghanistan
is grateful for Austria’s development
assistance throughout the past
years. Its recent contribution of two
million Euros in assistance through
the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC) was an immense
help. Like many developing countries,
our strides towards our next level of development
faltered due to this global
crisis. However, the vital support of our
allies helped us combat COVID-19 in
Afghanistan.
Foto: SOCIETY/Pobaschnig
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