Afghanistan's neighbours call for assistance to Kabul in economic recovery, development

Moscow, Oct 7 (PTI) Giving credit to Afghanistan's authorities in effectively combating terrorism and drug menace, representatives of its neighbouring and regional countries on Tuesday called for assistance to Kabul in economic recovery and post-conflict development.

"We give Kabul credit for being able to effectively counter terrorist groups, namely the Afghan branch of the Islamic State, amid significant external pressure and a relatively small government budget," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the 7th meeting of the Moscow Format of Consultations on Afghanistan held in Moscow.

Special representatives and senior officials from India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting, which was attended by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. A delegation from Belarus also attended the meeting as a guest.

India was represented by Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar, who has previously served as New Delhi’s envoy in Kabul, at the consultations opened by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“Hundreds of militants who spread death and destruction on Afghan soil have been eliminated,” Lavrov said.

He also highlighted the Taliban-controlled Kabul’s achievements in countering narcotics.  “Considerable progress has also been made in the anti-drug campaign. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the areas under poppy cultivation and opium poppy production have declined by 90% in Afghanistan since 2022,” he added.

Lavrov, who earlier had a bilateral meeting with the Afghan foreign minister, said: "We have taken note of the fact that in four years in power, the Islamic Emirate’s government has strengthened and now rules the country with confidence.” Russia recognised the Taliban-led government in Kabul in July after its Supreme Court suspended the national ban on the Taliban as a terrorist outfit.

A joint statement issued after the 7th round of consultations called for strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation at both the bilateral and multilateral levels.

"They emphasised that Afghanistan must be supported in taking comprehensive measures aimed at eliminating terrorism and its rapid eradication, so that Afghan soil should not be used to threaten the security of neighbouring countries and countries outside the region," the statement said.

"The parties particularly noted that terrorism poses a serious threat to the security of Afghanistan, the region, and the entire world," it said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that the participants reaffirmed their support for Afghanistan's emergence as an independent and peaceful state, free of terrorism and narcotics.

"They expressed their readiness to assist Kabul in strengthening regional security. Also, they emphasised the need for international humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, which should not be politicised," the Foreign Ministry stated.

The parties "called unacceptable the attempts by countries to deploy their military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighbouring states, since this does not serve the interests of regional peace and stability." "The parties urged the countries mainly responsible for the current predicament in Afghanistan to earnestly fulfill commitments on the economic recovery and future development of Afghanistan," it added. PTI VS ZH ZH