KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states have reiterated their call for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan that represents all ethnic and political groups.
In a joint statement on Thursday, July 4, following a two-day meeting in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, they emphasized that an inclusive government is essential for achieving lasting peace and stability.
The SCO members expressed support for Afghanistan to be an independent, united, and peaceful state, free from terrorism, war, and drugs.
According to the Russian News Agency, TASS, during his remarks at the SCO summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed resuming the SCO-Afghanistan contact group, saying it would contribute to further normalization of the situation in Afghanistan.
“We believe it is right that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has stayed closely involved in the problems of Afghanistan. We support the idea of resuming the activities of the SCO-Afghanistan contact group,” Putin said.
Afghanistan remains largely isolated from the international community, as the Taliban regime has yet to be recognized by any country. This isolation is primarily due to concerns about the establishment of an inclusive government, the protection of human rights—particularly those of women and girls—and the severing of ties with terrorist groups.
This is not the first time SCO member states have urged the Taliban to establish an inclusive government. Since the Taliban’s return to power, they have consistently made this call.
In response to these calls, the Taliban have maintained that their government is already inclusive and that issue of government inclusivity is an internal matter.
