Afghanistan excluded from 2025 SCO Summit amid regional concerns

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.