KABUL (Pajhwok): Russia and Central Asian Republics (CARs) have underlined the need for constructive peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
In a joint statement from the Foreign Ministry in Moscow on Friday, the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and Russia issued the call.
According to TASS news agency, the ministers said: “We hope for constructive talks between Kabul and the Taliban with the aim of drafting coordinated approaches to the cessation of a lengthy war and development of Afghanistan as a peaceful, independent and sovereign state.”
In their joint statement, the ministers welcomed efforts to achieve national reconciliation in Afghanistan at all dialogue venues, including the Istanbul process, with consideration for the results of the 9th Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process ministerial conference of March 30.
They also hailed efforts in this regard by the extended Troika (Russia, the US, China and Pakistan) and the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan.
The current situation in Afghanistan had triggered grave concern due to the hasty withdrawal of foreign forces and the subsequent escalation of hostilities, particularly in Afghanistan’s northern provinces bordering on Central Asia.
The ministers believed that given this new geopolitical reality, it was necessary to look for ways to stabilise the military-political situation and establish peace in Afghanistan.
All parties to the conflict in Afghanistan were urged to refrain from the use of force and destabilising actions with a view to creating favorable conditions for promoting peace.
The ministers condemned terror attacks in Afghanistan, in which civilians were killed or injured. The continued presence and activity of ISIS, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups was one of the key factors that fomented instability in Afghanistan, they noted.
“We are concerned about the expansion of drug crops and the high level of drug production and illegal arms trade. These are some of the main sources of income for terrorist groups,” the statement added.
They hoped the Afghan government would increase its efforts to counter these threats.
PAN Monitor/mud
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