United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo concluded her visit to Afghanistan on Sunday after holding meetings with the Islamic Emirate authorities, civil society representatives, women leaders and Afghan female UN personnel.

During meetings with the IEA, DiCarlo reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to advancing the Doha process and noted progress made by its two working groups on counter-narcotics and the private sector.

She stressed the importance of turning dialogue into practical results for the Afghan people, while both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued engagement.

DiCarlo also conveyed concerns raised by UN member states over the situation of women and girls, particularly restrictions on girls’ access to education.

She said progress on women’s and girls’ rights would contribute to Afghanistan’s development and also raised concerns over restrictions affecting Afghan female UN personnel.

The UN official highlighted the challenges facing Afghanistan, including economic and social pressures, climate change and natural disasters.

She also reaffirmed the UN’s readiness to support Afghans returning from neighboring countries.

During meetings with civil society representatives and women leaders, DiCarlo recognized their important contributions to communities across Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow to discuss bilateral relations, economic and trade cooperation, regional developments and continued political consultations.

According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi called for deeper political understanding between the two countries and greater cooperation in trade, transit and economic affairs.

He stressed Afghanistan’s interest in developing long-term and mutually beneficial relations with Russia.

Lavrov emphasized the importance of continued political consultations and expressed Moscow’s interest in further expanding economic and trade ties with Afghanistan.

The two sides also discussed regional stability, counter-narcotics efforts and security issues, with Russia acknowledging Afghanistan’s efforts in these areas.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said all security, political and economic disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan can be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

Speaking at the Moscow Format meeting on Monday, Muttaqi said Kabul does not want its relations with Islamabad to descend into mutual accusations and propaganda, stressing that Afghanistan’s objective is to resolve existing problems rather than prolong them.

“Our fundamental position is that the existing problems between Afghanistan and Pakistan, whether security, political or economic, can be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.

Muttaqi criticized the Pakistani government for what he described as its approach of using “military language” instead of political engagement in dealing with Afghanistan.

He accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty through military actions in recent years and said civilians were killed in recent attacks in Kunar, Helmand and Paktika provinces.

The Afghan foreign minister also called for greater regional cooperation on security, countering Daesh, combating narcotics and preventing smuggling. He said Afghanistan was ready to work with neighboring and regional countries to strengthen border security and jointly combat organized crime.

Muttaqi further said the Islamic Emirate would continue to formulate its foreign policy independently and would not abandon its core policies under external pressure.

“Afghanistan considers self-defense against any aggression its inalienable right,” he said.

Turning to economic issues, Muttaqi urged regional countries to expand trade and investment ties with Afghanistan. He said Kabul wants Afghanistan to become a hub for regional cooperation and connectivity