17 June 2004 19:30
Afghan newspaper says Russia should not seek repayment of loans
Text of editorial: "The Russian parliament thinks upside down" by Afghan newspaper Anis on 16 June
The Russian ambassador in Kabul has recently said that Russia has not been able to provide extensive economic support
to Afghanistan because the issue of repayment of loans given to Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union has remained
unresolved. He has also added that according to Russian laws, the Russian parliament cannot agree with the provision of
extensive economic assistance to Afghanistan if the issue of Soviet loans given to Afghanistan are not clarified.
The recent remarks of the Russian ambassador in Kabul representing his country require profound attention for several
reasons. Firstly, the former Soviet Union whose heir is the present day Russia subjected Afghanistan to aggression and,
in collaboration with its puppet regime, resorted to killing the innocent people of Afghanistan without hesitation. It
wreaked so much havoc that Afghanistan will not be able to rebuild its ruins for centuries and return to the economy it
had prior to the Soviet occupation if it were to do all this by itself. Secondly, most of the loans that the Russian
ambassador is talking about are sale of arms and ammunitions and military hardware. When the former Soviet Union
launched a military attack on Afghanistan, it started to strengthen its puppet administration in Kabul to avert further
loss of its military personnel. This was a decision that could not have been taken without the approval of the leaders
of the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union retreated from Afghanistan, it took back its military hardware as much as it
could.
Due to the fact that the Soviet Union had fears from its republics such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan,
it was compelled to continue its military support to the then government of Afghanistan. On the other hand, survival of
the then government of Afghanistan served as a guarantee that the republics of the former Soviet Union will remain safe.
Therefore, the Soviet Union continued to support the then Afghan government.
The Soviet Union was providing support to Afghanistan in the hope that it will maintain its presence in Afghanistan
for good. Installation of gas meters for the north of the country on the other side of the border testifies to this
claim. The Soviet Union thought it was invincible. It, therefore, built residential apartment buildings (makrorayans),
buildings and companies.
The heir of the former Soviet Union, Russia, should settle the Vnesh Torg Bank [Foreign Trade Bank] accounts with
Afghan traders. These accounts amount to millions of dollars. Meanwhile, heirs of the former Soviet Union should also
pay for the destruction they have caused in Afghanistan. No illegitimate and stubborn leader in Afghanistan can write
off this reparation and only the future parliament of Afghanistan will decide on this. As the Russian ambassador has
referred to the parliament of his country, Afghanistan will also have a parliament very soon. Russia should rest assured
that members of the future parliament in Afghanistan will be sympathetic Afghans who will undoubtedly insist on taking
reparation for Soviet occupation and war in Afghanistan.
The Russian government and parliament should accept this bitter reality that the destruction caused after their
withdrawal during the government of the mojahedin and Taleban was because the Soviet Union and its puppet government
destroyed Afghanistan. Therefore, the Soviet Union is also considered responsible for the destruction in Afghanistan
after its withdrawal. The Russian ambassador and parliament as heirs of the former Soviet Union should realize that the
Soviet Union has not had a good record in Afghanistan. They should therefore not talk about the loans they had given
themselves.
[Anis] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
