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Afghanistan excluded from 2025 SCO Summit amid regional concerns
Despite Afghanistan’s central role in regional security, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has not been invited to attend.
The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit is being held from Sunday, 31 August in Tianjin, China, with leaders set to discuss regional cooperation, sustainable development, security and stability, multilateralism, and China’s “Five Common Homes” initiative promoting peace, unity, and good neighborliness.
Despite Afghanistan’s central role in regional security, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has not been invited to attend.
The exclusion reflects continued concerns among SCO members about the threat of domestic and cross-border militant groups since the IEA’s return to power in 2021.
Recent talks in Kabul between officials from China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan’s foreign ministry underlined these anxieties, with discussions dominated by worries over extremist activity.
Afghan officials had hoped for recognition and greater dialogue, but their expectations from the meeting were left unmet.
Russia and China both maintain working-level ties with the Islamic Emirate, yet Afghanistan remains absent from formal multilateral forums like the SCO.
Analysts suggest the exclusion stems from U.S. pressure within the UN Security Council, which has restricted the travel of senior Afghan officials.
Examples include the cancellation of Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to Islamabad and India’s successful effort to block his participation in a meeting in New Delhi.
As SCO leaders gather in Tianjin, Afghanistan’s absence once again highlights the geopolitical tensions surrounding its future role in regional security and counterterrorism cooperation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that security risks in Central Asia and developments in Afghanistan are among the primary concerns for the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
The CSTO is a regional military alliance that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Speaking in Moscow during a meeting with CSTO Secretary-General Taalatbek Masadykov, Lavrov described the region’s security challenges as “central” to the organization’s agenda.
“The problems that are currently among the central ones for the CSTO are new challenges and threats. I am referring to the situation in the Central Asian region of collective security, as well as everything related to what is happening in Afghanistan,” he said.
He praised Masadykov as “one of the leading experts” on Central Asian security, noting that his experience could enhance coordination and increase the effectiveness of allied actions.
Similar to NATO, the CSTO considers an attack on one member state as an attack on all.
Countries in the region have always expressed concern about security threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed these concerns and assured that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against another country.
The Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan has announced that the leader of the Islamic Emirate has approved the establishment of a faculty dedicated to “Prophetic Medicine.”
According to the ministry, this new faculty will play a vital role in advancing medical sciences and training skilled healthcare professionals across the country.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Noorullah Noori, has announced that the long-delayed demarcation and renovation of border markers along the Afghanistan–Iran frontier will officially begin in the near future.
According to a statement from the ministry, Noori made the remarks during a meeting with Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, Ali-Reza Bikdeli.
He assured the Iranian side that the Islamic Emirate is fully committed to accelerating the process and resolving any challenges that may arise during implementation.
In a separate statement, the Iranian Embassy in Kabul said Bikdeli underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation on border issues, describing it as a key factor in strengthening and expanding overall relations between the two countries.
Officials from both sides agreed nearly three months ago to resume the border-marker renovation project, which had remained stalled for the past seven years.
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