Mikhail Gorbachev, Statement on Afghanistan. February 8, 1988
Original Source: TASS, 8 February 1988.
The military conflict in Afghanistan has been going on for a long time now. It is one of the most bitter and painful regional conflicts. Judging by everything, certain prerequisites have now emerged for its political settlement. In this context the Soviet leadership considers it necessary to set forth its view and to make its position totally clear….
By now documents covering all aspects of a settlement have been almost fully worked out at the Geneva negotiations….
So what remains to be done? To establish a time frame for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan that would be acceptable to all. Precisely that-a time frame, since the fundamental political decision to withdraw Soviet troops from Afghanistan was adopted by us, in agreement with the Afghan leadership, some time ago, and announced at that same time….
The question of the withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan was raised at the 27th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
That was a reflection of our current political thinking, of our new, modern view of the world. We wanted thereby to reaffirm our commitment to the traditions of good-neighborliness, good will and mutual respect which trace back to Vladimir Lenin and the first Soviet-Afghan treaty in 1921. Progressive forces of Afghan society have understood and accepted our sincere desire for peace and tranquility between our two neighboring countries, which for several decades were showing an example of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial equitable cooperation.
Any armed conflict, including an internal one, can poison the atmosphere in an entire region and create a situation of anxiety and alarm for a country’s neighbors, to say nothing of the suffering and losses among its own people. That is why we are against any armed conflicts. We know that the Afghan leadership, too, takes the same attitude.
It is well known that all of that has caused the Afghan leadership, headed by President Najibullah, to undertake a profound rethinking of political course, which has crystallized in the patriotic and realist policy of national reconciliation….
Success of the policy of national reconciliation has already made it possible to begin withdrawing Soviet troops from portions of the Afghan territory. At present there are no Soviet troops in 13 Afghan provinces-because armed clashes have ceased there….
The Afghans themselves will decide the final status of their country among other nations. Most often it is being said that the future peaceful Afghanistan will be an independent, non-aligned and neutral state. Well, we would only be happy to have such a neighbor on our southern borders….
And now about our boys, our soldiers in Afghanistan. They have been doing their duty honestly, performing acts of self-denial and heroism.
Our people profoundly respect those who were called to serve in Afghanistan. The state provides for them, as a matter of priority, good educational opportunities and a chance to get interesting, worthy work.
The memory of those who have died a hero’s death in Afghanistan is sacred to us. It is the duty of party and Soviet authorities to make sure that their families and relatives are taken care of with concern, attention and kindness.
And, finally, when the Afghan knot is untied, it will have the most profound impact on other regional conflicts too.
Whereas the arms race, which we are working so hard-and with some success-to stop, is mankind’s mad race to the abyss, regional conflicts are bleeding wounds which can result in gangrenous growth on the body of mankind.
The earth is literally spotted with such wounds. Each of them means pain not only for the nations directly involved but for all-whether in Afghanistan, in the Middle East, in connection with the Iran-Iraq war, in southern Africa, in Kampuchea, or in Central America.
Who gains from these conflicts? No one except the arms merchants and various reactionary expansionist circles who are used to exploiting and turning a profit on people’s misfortunes and tragedies.
Implementing political settlement in Afghanistan will be an important rupture in the chain of regional conflicts.
Just as the agreement to eliminate intermediate- and shorter-range missiles is to be followed by a series of further major steps towards disarmament, with negotiations on them already underway or being planned, likewise behind the political settlement in Afghanistan already looms a question: which conflict will be settled next? And it is certain that more is to follow.
States and nations have sufficient reserves of responsibility, political will and determination to put an end to all regional conflicts within a few years. This is worth working for. The Soviet Union will spare no effort in this most important cause.
Source: Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Daily Report (8 February 1988), pp. 34-36 (excerpts).