Russia has expressed support for reviving the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)-Afghanistan Contact Group, saying there is broad backing among SCO member states for renewed engagement with Afghanistan through the regional body.

Speaking at a briefing, Russia’s Special Representative for SCO Affairs, Bakhtiyor Khakimov, said Moscow maintains stable relations with Kabul and views the resumption of the contact group’s activities as an important step toward strengthening regional cooperation.

“We believe the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, which was established in 2007, should resume its activities,” Khakimov said. “This understanding generally prevails within the organization.”

Khakimov noted that efforts to revive the mechanism gained momentum during special consultations on Afghanistan held in Dushanbe in September last year at the initiative of Tajikistan. Participants agreed to examine possible ways to restart the group and enhance coordination on Afghanistan-related issues.

He acknowledged that procedural challenges remain, as the contact group is traditionally co-chaired by the deputy foreign minister of the SCO’s rotating chair country and a representative from Afghanistan.

Because not all SCO member states have formally recognized the current authorities in Kabul, Khakimov said progress toward reactivating the mechanism is likely to be gradual.

Representatives from Afghanistan and Pakistan met in Istanbul this week for the second round of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Track 1.5 Dialogue Process, as both sides seek to improve communication amid ongoing tensions between the neighboring countries.

The talks, held on June 8-9, were organized by the Turkish humanitarian organization IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation and brought together participants in what organizers described as a constructive and cordial atmosphere.

According to IHH, the dialogue aims to promote mutual understanding, build trust and encourage cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the broader goal of supporting regional stability and prosperity.

The organization said the process provides an informal platform for discussion and engagement between the two countries and could help strengthen communication on issues of shared concern.

Türkiye and Qatar also played facilitating roles in the dialogue.

IHH expressed hope that continued meetings would contribute to reducing tensions, expanding cooperation and fostering greater understanding between the two sides.

The discussions come at a time when relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain strained over a range of political and security issues.

The meeting also follows recent Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan that, according to Afghan officials, killed 13 civilians, including children, and injured 14 others.

Despite ongoing challenges in bilateral relations, organizers said continued dialogue remains important for addressing differences and promoting constructive engagement between the two neighboring countries.

The United Nations has said that air strikes attributed to Pakistan in Afghanistan’s Kunar, Khost and Paktika provinces earlier this week killed at least 13 civilians, including 11 children, one woman and one elderly man, and injured 14 others.

Speaking at the UN’s daily press briefing, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said the Afghan authorities in Afghanistan had reported multiple air strikes in the three provinces that allegedly struck civilian homes.

Haq called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, stressing that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times.

The UN official expressed concern over the reported civilian casualties and urged all sides to avoid actions that could further endanger civilian lives.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in a statement, announced that it has summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul and conveyed its “strong and firm” protest over the violation of Afghanistan’s airspace and the bombing of civilian homes.

According to the statement, Pakistan’s military regime once again blatantly violated Afghanistan’s airspace on Tuesday night and bombed civilian homes in parts of Khost, Paktika, and Kunar provinces.