KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Azerbaijan hosted an international conference on Tuesday, bringing together intelligence and security officials from 20 countries to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
The one-day summit, titled “Afghanistan: Regional Connectivity, Security and Development,” was held in Baku, the capital, according to a press release from the State Security Service of Azerbaijan (SSS).
Colonel General Ali Naghiyev, head of the SSS, opened the event by urging for a unified international approach to counter what he called “terrorist and disruptive groups” attempting to destabilize Afghanistan.
Naghiyev also called for stronger global cooperation to address transnational threats, including terrorism, drug trafficking, and illegal migration.
According to the release, other participants echoed similar concerns and expressed hope that the Baku summit would lead to concrete steps toward improving peace and stability in Afghanistan. The list of attending countries was not disclosed.
It remains unclear whether representatives of the Taliban took part in the talks. The group has not issued any public statement on the event.
Security tensions in the region have intensified since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Terrorist groups such as ISIS-K, Al-Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), and Jamaat Ansarullah have expanded their operations, raising fears of cross-border violence.
Neighboring countries have repeatedly called on the Taliban to prevent such groups from operating inside Afghanistan. Taliban authorities, however, reject the accusations, claiming they have suppressed ISIS-K and insisting Afghanistan poses no threat to any other country.
Taliban authorities argue that neighboring countries should address their internal security failures rather than blame Afghanistan.
