The countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization called during a summit held today, Friday in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan, and the meeting witnessed calls to help this country, and to confront what was described as terrorist threats and external interference in the region.

The final statement of the 20th session of the Shanghai Organization summit – which lasted for one day – stressed the need to establish an inclusive government in Afghanistan with the participation of all ethnic, religious and political groups in society, and also stressed the need for a rapid settlement of the situation in Afghanistan.

The participating countries called for Afghanistan to become an independent, neutral, united, democratic and peaceful country, free from terrorism, war and drugs, stressing that this is one of the factors in maintaining security and stability in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization region.

The leaders of Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and the Central Asian republics participated in the summit, and developments in Afghanistan topped its agenda.

political settlement

Russian President Vladimir Putin called – in a video speech from his residence on the outskirts of Moscow – to use the capabilities of the Shanghai Organization to support a political settlement in Afghanistan, and to confront what he described as terrorist threats.

Putin said that there is a need to work with the government recently formed by the Taliban, and described the change of power in Afghanistan as a historic moment, stressing that the new Afghan authorities must be motivated to implement their promises.

He called on the major powers to consider lifting the freezing of Afghan assets abroad, and considered that the United States should be the largest contributor to Kabul’s financial aid, noting that his country supports the holding of a conference on Afghanistan organized by the United Nations.

The Russian President welcomed the accession of Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia as partners for dialogue in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and also expressed Moscow’s support for the decision to include Iran as an active member that will raise the status of the organization internationally, as he put it.

Afghanistan aid and foreign intervention

For his part, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed – in a video speech – that his country will provide more aid to Afghanistan according to its ability.

Xi called on the international community to help Afghanistan, and called on the new authorities in Kabul to root out terrorism and pursue moderate policies at home and abroad.

The Chinese president emphasized the need to ensure a smooth transition to a new socio-political form in Afghanistan.

Xi said that his country will not allow outside forces to interfere in the region’s affairs under any pretext, as he put it.

As for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, he expressed his country’s readiness to provide assistance to the Afghans to rebuild their country and form a government that includes all sects.

During his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the summit, Raisi added that the solution to the problems in Afghanistan lies in limiting foreign interference in Afghan affairs, adding that the US and Western presence in Afghanistan over the past two decades has brought nothing but destruction, displacement and killing to the Afghan people, as he put it. .