Full Transcript of President Karzai’s Interview with Chinese
Phoenix Satellite Television
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Xiao Feng Jiang, Correspondent:
Thank you, Mr. President, for accepting our interview. It is the first time for us to have an
interview with you here in Kabul. It’s our pleasure.
President Karzai:
Most welcome! Most welcome!
Q:
Mr. President, we know that Afghanistan is known as the graveyard of empires. During the
history, many alien powers have invaded your country and also brought conflict and war to
your country. I had a thought that your country can use this geopolitical importance and very
important position to bring wealth and stability to your country instead of bloodshed?
President Karzai:
Well, that’s a very, very good question. Indeed, the Afghan people would want to use the
geopolitical position of Afghanistan , the importance of Afghanistan in this extremely significant
part of the world, for the betterment of the Afghan people , for the betterment of the region,
now history has somehow played at times an unfortunate game in Afghanistan, we, as you said
rightly, are known as the graveyard of empires, not because we wanted Afghanistan to be the
graveyard for those empires but because of the way those empires behaved towards it and so
the consequences were the collapse of those empires. This time around, ten years ago the
Afghan people received the United States and NATO as liberators and as the consequence of
the decision by the Security Council in which all countries participated, we were freed from AlQaida and terrorism. From that day - 2002 till today- good and bad both happened. We have
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been given assistance, we have schools, and we have roads, we have a better economy. Bad
things also happened. The war against terrorism was not taken to the right place; it was fought
in the Afghan villages and homes. That’s not where it was in the first place and it isn’t where it is
right now, the Afghan people suffered massively in this war. So, we hope that Afghanistan this
time will be a place where there will be a convergence of interests of all, of economic interests
and of sharing of interests of major powers and the neighborhood of Afghanistan.
Q:
Talking about the neighborhood, We know that China is a very important neighbor of
Afghanistan, we share the same border, to some extent, we share similar history, china was also
invaded by alien powers but China is a country who always shows sympathy to the weak and in
the past, China has contributed a lot to Afghanistan’s peace and stability, Do you think, China
can contribute in a way that would be mutually beneficial for both countries?
President Karzai:
Absolutely and very significant. Afghanistan views China not only as a good neighbor , as a
neighbor that has been doing good for the Afghan people for long but also as the second
biggest economy in the world , as a rising superpower of the world and a superpower that is a
neighbor of Afghanistan. So, Afghanistan and China have to live together. So far, we have lived
very well together and we are sure that the Chinese wisdom will extend to the future as well in
the same manner. So, Afghanistan and China not only have good neighborly relations but
relations based on economic activity, of benefit to both sides and of the use of resources
Afghanistan has for the industrial benefit of China and for improvement and betterment of the
lives, the infrastructure and the economy of Afghanistan.
Q: Let me go a little bit deeper. Let me talk about Mes Aynak [copper mine). We know that this
is one of the world largest undeveloped copper mine and a Chinese company has been
granted the right to develop it and it happened to find archaeological sites which takes years to
save it , which also means development of this copper mine could be delayed. Do you think
there is a way to put the development of this copper mine that everyone would be happy?
President Karzai:
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Well, we are in a hurry that this copper mine work as it has been agreed between us when we
signed the agreement, we know that there is an archaeological site there, we are working on
that in a hurry and it is almost near completion, so we know that for the interest of the Chinese
mining activity and in the interest of the Afghan people that this mine would be operational on
time and on schedule.
Q: Right, ok. Let me turn to the peace talks with the Taliban, could you shed some light of the
peace talks between your government and the Taliban forces, do you think that the holding of
negotiations with the Taliban would create positive results in the future? Are you ready to shake
hands with these guys?
President Karzai:
Absolutely, absolutely, those Taliban who are Afghans, who are not part of any terrorist
network and who want to return to Afghanistan, they are most welcome, I have been calling for
them to end violence and for their return to Afghanistan for a long time, there is Afghan Peace
Council that is constantly moving in its direction. So, peace is a must necessity for any nation
and so it is for Afghanistan, we are engaged with the Taliban in some form of talks, though not
officially as the peace process, but we do have contacts with them and need that China as a
neighbor of ours and as a major world power and as a friend both of Afghanistan and Pakistan,
and a country that all of us trust, can play a very important role in facilitating and promoting the
peace process in Afghanistan.
Q:
So, you are looking for a Chinese role in this process?
President Karzai:
We were looking for the Chinese role for a long time and I got to once again request the
Chinese role in this regard through this interview.
Q:
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Alright. And also we notice that Afghanistan is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation
organization, do you think that Afghans’ membership is of great importance for the peace and
stability in your country and in the region?
President Karzai:
Yes, we are almost in the center piece of this region, so our participation in an organization that
is the most prominent in this region and has significance for all in this region is important and it’s
good for us and our presence in the Shanghai is good for the organization.
Q:
Alright. Next year, there will be Presidential elections and the withdrawal of foreign troops from
your country, what do expect the scenario be after the withdrawal of foreign troops?
President Karzai:
Well, there is a lot of Western media propaganda that after 2014, when the NATO forces are
withdrawn from Afghanistan, there would be a lot of Taliban and it would be instable. That’s
not right, Afghanistan will be alright, Afghanistan will continue to make progress and
Afghanistan will keep on the road that it has taken and here too, it is important for the Shanghai
cooperation organization, for Russia, for China, for India, for our neighbors to give us a helping
hand so Afghanistan will continue towards full stability and progress. So through stability and
progress of Afghanistan, the region will be stable and progressing, therefore I once again I call
upon all of our neighbors, and friends in China that 2014 should be used as an opportunity to
strengthen Afghanistan and give us a hand of support that will not only keep Afghanistan
stable and strong but will [also] make Afghanistan a country where businesses, where economic
activity finds an interest, and is of promotion to the region as well.
Q:
Now, You have been the President of your country for about ten years, how do mark your
worksheet, how do you judge your historical position in your country?
President Karzai:
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I think the most important legacy that I hope, would be leaving for myself and the country is
that during my Presidency, Afghanistan once again became home for all Afghans, all Afghans
found the opportunity to participate and nobody is to run from Afghanistan, democracy,
parliament, a better economy, education and improvement in the standards of life, and
Afghanistan emerging once again on the world stage with our flag flying around, those are the
hallmarks of my term in office.
Q:
Do you have any expectation from the new President?
President Karzai:
well, the new President has to keep the ball rolling, has to keep Afghanistan united, has to
continue to make Afghanistan home for all Afghans, has to continue to have good relations
with neighbors and beyond.
Q:
Maybe, my question is too early, but have you thought where are you going after retirement?
President Karzai:
well, just before you came, looking at the design of a house for me just across the road. I would
be staying here in Kabul, the Afghan government and the Afghan Constitution will provide me
house and will provide me salary , so I will be here as a retired President of Afghanistan and will
be living in my own country and my own capital.
Q:
The other question I have is that your father was assassinated during the Taliban, your brother
Ahamd Wali as well by the Taliban...
President Karzai:
Yes
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Q:
Do you think for those Taliban members, especially extremist Taliban fighters, is there a room
that the government and those Taliban groups can sit down and talk about peace?
President Karzai:
Though, we are making a general call for all those Afghan Taliban who are not part of Al-Qaida
or other terrorist networks, or who are not supporting terrorist networks in the region or are not
parts of those terrorist networks in the region and internationally, to come back to Afghanistan
and to participate and live in this country and not to hurt themselves or the country anymore.
Now, with regard to those who have committed crimes, it is the afghan judicial system and the
Afghan people who would have to take the matters up.
Q:
Alright. I think, I should introduce our company to you. We are a company which is private, not
government and but our company enjoys billions of audience all over the world and also in
Afghanistan, do you have any special wishes or special words for the Phoenix TV?
President Karzai:
Phoenix TV is a TV watched by millions of people and it is a good television channel, I have had
two or three previous interviews with your channel, I wish you all the best and I watch your
programs too, though I don’t understand the language at times but I do watch your TV and you
are doing well.
Q:
And one last question. That, here in Afghanistan, as we have observed and experienced in
Kabul, the city development is not as good as people have expected and there are some roads
[not in] shape, do you think that Kabul and the rest of Afghan cities will take a new shape in the
future?
President Karzai:
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Well, Kabul has developed very well in the past ten years in terms of economy, but of course,
not of standards that you hope and we desire, the roads have problem in Kabul and other cities
have done much better than Kabul, the other cities, are all paved or mostly paved, Kabul
because is vast there are over thousands of Km of roads in here, the road construction is going
on, but there is a lot more to be done and a lot more that we should be doing.
Q:
Ok, in my experience, this time as I told you, we were in Bamyan yesterday, and Bamyan of
course was used to be a very important connecting point in the history which links East and
West and very important for being jad-e-abreshom [silk road]
President Karzai:
Exactly
Q:
but unfortunately the Buddhas were blasted by artillery by the Taliban, do you think it was out
of the Taliban’s political pursuit or religious intolerance that they acted this kind of cultural
terrorism?
President Karzai:
I don’t think, it was religious because the Buddha has been there for fourteen hundred years
since Afghanistan became Muslim so for 14 hundred years, the Afghans were Muslim and there
were rulers and governments here and Buddha was kept, with Muslims all around it. I am
confident that the destruction of the Buddha was a political decision, whether this was a
decision by the Taliban based on the naivety that they showed or whether this was a more
complicated plot by more sophisticated hands in the Taliban, we will hopefully someday find
out.
Q:
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And we had a chance to interview the Bamyan governor Madam Sorabi and we talked about
cooperation between China and Bamyan and the whole Afghanistan on tourism business, what
do think that the cooperation between the two countries can develop in a more effective way?
President Karzai:
Absolutely, Afghanistan would be a great tourist destination for the Chinese visitors. This is a
country which has all aspects of natural beauty and one of the richest countries in the world in
archaeological sites in history. So, yes this can be great destination and I would invite through
you Chinese enterprise to come and to invest in hotel, and in services in Afghanistan, they will
profit a great deal.
Q:
Probably their only concern is about the security.
President Karzai:
Well, it actually goes ways, you only see that Afghanistan is a lot more secure than many
countries around us, so and as we move forward as cooperate together, China ,Afghanistan
and all other neighbors, we will be a lot more stable and a lot more economically well-off. So,
those who come early to invest will have the biggest of the profits.
Q:
Early bird catches more!
President Karzai:
Exactly
Q:
Thank you, Mr. President, thank you very much!
President Karzai:
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Good to talk to you. Most welcome!
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