Wolfgang Petritsch, President of the Austrian Institute for International Affairs, has urged the international community to pressure the Taliban into dialogue with opposition groups.
As host of the Vienna Process on Afghanistan, he emphasised the need for political solutions to the country’s ongoing crisis.
In an exclusive interview with Afghanistan International, Petritsch stressed the importance of inclusive political dialogue and urged anti-Taliban political figures and groups to actively participate in the upcoming Vienna talks. He emphasised that decisions about Afghanistan must be made with full involvement from Afghan stakeholders themselves.
Petritsch stated, “Since 2023, there have been ongoing discussions on creating a roadmap. Now is the time for opposition leaders to act decisively and work towards a unified and actionable plan.” He underlined the importance of establishing initial contact with the Taliban as a first step towards meaningful negotiations.
Highlighting the aims of the Vienna Process, Petritsch noted that the objective is not to provoke further conflict, but to open the door to intra-Afghan dialogue. “The Taliban are a political reality in Afghanistan,” he said. “We must avoid additional war and instead focus on ways to bring all sides to the negotiating table.”
He stressed that global actors particularly the United States, the European Union, and influential regional powers must apply coordinated pressure on the Taliban to compel them to engage with non-Taliban political and military forces.
Petritsch also suggested that moderate voices exist within the Taliban who may be open to the idea of elections and inclusive governance. He pointed to the Doha Agreement, in which the Taliban committed to dialogue with all Afghan factions, and said that these commitments must now be fulfilled.
“The goal is to transform intra-Afghan dialogue into a practical and constructive political process,” he added.
Since the fall of the former Afghan government, the Vienna Process has emerged as the most prominent international platform for the Afghan opposition. Its fifth session was held in February, with participation from key figures such as Ahmad Massoud of the National Resistance Front and Yasin Zia of the Afghanistan Freedom Front.
