Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi says both Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sadyr Japarov, the President of Kyrgyzstan, who visited Islamabad on Thursday, expressed their mutual commitment to a peaceful, stable Afghanistan with a sustainable future for the Afghan people.

Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Andrabi stated that both sides agreed that the Islamic Emirate must fulfill its obligations toward the international community and take concrete steps against terrorist groups to address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns.

This comes while the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly emphasized that no terrorist groups operate from Afghan territory and that it will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against any country.

The Islamic Emirate has also stated that Pakistan’s security concerns are an internal issue of that country, and Pakistan itself must take measures to prevent any security incidents.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Afghanistan has taken “active and effective” steps to curb drug trafficking, noting a significant drop in opium production across the country. He made the remarks during an exclusive interview with India Today during his India trip, highlighting what he described as “visible progress” in Afghanistan’s internal security efforts.

Putin stated that Afghan authorities have “substantially reduced” opium cultivation and are “seriously confronting” drug-related threats from within their borders. He added that Afghanistan has also made important advancements in the fight against terrorism.

Responding to a question about why Russia officially recognized the Islamic Emirate, the Russian president said Afghanistan had been engulfed in civil conflict for many years, but the current authorities now hold control over the country. “This is the reality, and it must be acknowledged,” Putin emphasized.

He further noted that maintaining contact with Afghanistan’s leadership is crucial for shaping events inside the country. “If you want influence, you must engage with the people in charge — and that is exactly what we are doing,” he said.

Putin’s remarks come as several regional powers continue to recalibrate their diplomatic strategies toward Afghanistan, focusing on stability, counterterrorism, and economic cooperation.

Iran has announced that it is prepared to provide fully funded virtual education for Afghan students returning from abroad, including complete support for digital learning tools and equipment.

Nader Yarahmadi, head of the Center for Foreign Nationals and Refugees at Iran’s Ministry of Interior, said Tehran is ready to deliver online education to Afghan students inside Afghanistan, adding that an international partner has expressed interest in helping finance the initiative.

According to Yarahmadi, more than 6.1 million Afghan nationals are legally residing in Iran, with only about 33,000 living in camps and the remainder settled in cities. He noted that until last year, Afghan students made up roughly 12% of Afghanistan’s residents in Iran and accounted for nearly 16% of Iran’s total student population. He said expanding school infrastructure and improving educational quality would help close existing gaps.

Iran’s Education Minister Alireza Kazemi highlighted the country’s experience with remote learning through the “Shad” platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are ready to educate all Afghan students through our national education network under a tripartite cooperation agreement, granting them valid academic certificates within the virtual school framework,” he said.

Earlier meetings in Kabul between Iran’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Alireza Bigdeli, Cultural Attaché Seyed Ruhollah Hosseini, and Islamic Emirate education officials underscored both sides’ interest in continuing cooperation in the education sector.