Senior Islamic Emirate officials on Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of their return to power with calls for preserving the current system, strengthening national unity, boosting economic self-reliance and expanding ties with neighboring and regional countries.

The ceremony was held at the Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul, where officials also highlighted security, infrastructure development and the government’s foreign policy.

Noor Mohammad Saqib, Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, said Afghanistan was considered one of the world’s most insecure countries before the Islamic Emirate returned to power, but is now, he claimed, the “most secure country in the world.”

Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, said administrative corruption had been eliminated under the Islamic Emirate. He said the completion of the Qosh Tepa Canal could enable Afghanistan to achieve food self-sufficiency and eventually export agricultural products.

Hanafi also highlighted the major electricity, gas and railway projects across the country.

On foreign policy, Hanafi said the Islamic Emirate wants relations with neighboring countries, the wider region and the international community based on non-interference, mutual respect and shared interests.

He said Afghanistan would not allow its territory to be used against the security of neighboring or other countries.

In a message read at the ceremony, Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund called on Afghans to defend the Islamic system and cooperate with the government in security and development efforts to help consolidate stability.

Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister for Professional Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, criticized the role of foreign countries during the previous 20 years, saying they had exercised significant influence over Afghanistan’s political, social and cultural affairs.

Nazari said the current government had helped reduce what he described as identity divisions and strengthen national unity. He also claimed that Afghanistan had made economic progress despite international sanctions and that greater transparency had been created for domestic investment.

Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Afghans reject “foreign ideology and occupation” and urged countries that have not engaged with the Islamic Emirate to reconsider their policies toward Kabul.

Muttaqi also called for greater self-reliance in the economy, industry and technology sectors, saying Afghanistan should reduce its dependence on other countries.

Information and Culture Minister Shir Ahmad Haqqani said “Sharia” had replaced what he called “the hated democracy.” He said the Islamic Emirate had not accepted instructions from other countries in forming its government and would not do so in the future.

Haqqani also said the international community has not recognized the Islamic Emirate because Sharia is in force in Afghanistan, but insisted that the authorities would not abandon their position.

Noorullah Noori, Minister of Borders, Tribes and Tribal Affairs, described the current level of unity in Afghanistan as “unprecedented” and called for its preservation.

Afghanistan’s Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid says the country’s security and defense forces are fully prepared to protect Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, independence and Islamic system.

In a message marking the August 15, 2021, anniversary of the collapse of the US-backed government and withdrawal of foreign troops, Mujahid assured Afghans that the security forces will use their full strength to protect the lives, property and dignity of the people.

“We assure the nation that with all our strength and capability, we will protect the country, its people, their property and dignity, as well as the Islamic system,” he said.

Mujahid also warned that no one would be allowed to disrupt security across Afghanistan.

Former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has called for stronger U.S.-Afghanistan relations, saying improved ties are essential to bringing Afghanistan back into the international community while urging both Washington and Kabul to address key outstanding issues.

Speaking in an interview with The National of the United Arab Emirates, Khalilzad said Afghanistan should first address U.S. concerns over American citizens believed to be detained or missing in the country.

He said there are three major obstacles to improving relations between Washington and Kabul.

The first is the fate of three American citizens whom he said are either being held in Afghanistan or have gone missing. Khalilzad said Washington needs clearer information about their cases and a mechanism to deal with similar issues.

The second challenge, he said, is continued U.S. disappointment and frustration over the outcome of its 20-year involvement in Afghanistan. He said addressing those concerns would take time and require both sides to confront the realities of the past as well as future U.S. interests.

The third challenge is IEA policies, particularly restrictions on girls’ education. Khalilzad described the restrictions as a major symbol of the issues the United States had sought to address during its two decades in Afghanistan, calling the policy morally wrong and socially short-sighted.

At the same time, Khalilzad urged Washington to expand its engagement with Afghanistan, warning that a limited U.S. presence could create a strategic vacuum.

He said reduced engagement could allow U.S. rivals to increase their influence in Afghanistan, create opportunities for terrorist groups and further harm ordinary Afghans who have already endured decades of conflict.

“Turning our backs on Afghanistan and limiting engagement to a minimum is, at best, a mistake,” Khalilzad said, according to his comments published by The National.

Assessing Afghanistan five years after the IEA returned to power, Khalilzad said developments had differed from what many had expected.

He said concerns that Afghanistan would become a much greater source of terrorism, face worsening internal security or experience economic collapse after the end of large-scale foreign assistance had not fully materialized.

Khalilzad also said the IEA had demonstrated greater-than-expected capabilities in areas including infrastructure development, agriculture and regional diplomacy, particularly in its relations with Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan.

However, he said the deterioration in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations had been unexpected. He criticized what he described as Pakistan’s increasingly hostile approach and its return to policies of supporting opponents of the Afghan authorities.

Khalilzad also identified Afghanistan’s prolonged political transition as a major challenge, saying there is still no clear roadmap for establishing a permanent constitution or political system.

His comments come as Afghanistan marks five years since the IEA took control of Kabul.