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Indian FM says at SCO meeting ‘world is against seizure of power by violence’
Foreign ministers of India, China, Pakistan and five other member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) began a key meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on Wednesday with a focus on the situation in Afghanistan.
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is attending the meeting, tweeted during the day that the world, the region and the Afghan people all want the same end state.
In his series of tweets, Jaishankar said an independent, neutral, unified, peaceful, democratic and prosperous nation is sought and that there is a need to cease “violence and terrorist attacks against civilians and state representatives, settle conflict through political dialogue, and respect interests of all ethnic groups”.
He also stated that its important to ensure that neighbours are not threatened by terrorism, separatism and extremism and that the “challenge is to act seriously and sincerely on these beliefs. Because there are forces at work with a very different agenda”.
“The world is against seizure of power by violence and force. It will not legitimise such actions,” he tweeted.
“Peace negotiations in earnest is the only answer. An acceptable compromise that reflects Doha process, Moscow format and Istanbul process is essential.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi are among the participants at the meeting.
The SCO is an eight-member economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.
SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the deadly bombing at a cafe in the Syrian capital, Damascus, that killed at least nine people and injured 20 others.
In a statement issued by Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Islamic Emirate described the attack as a violation of Islamic and humanitarian values, saying attacks targeting civilians are unacceptable.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the attack on a cafe in the capital of the Syrian Arab Republic, Damascus, which resulted in the martyrdom and injury of several civilians,” the statement said.
The ministry added that such incidents pose a serious challenge to Syria’s security and stability.
According to Syrian authorities, the blast occurred on Thursday at a cafe near the Palace of Justice in central Damascus. The Interior Ministry said a crudely made explosive device weighing about one kilogram and packed with metal shrapnel caused the explosion, killing nine people and wounding 20 others.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday in Tehran during an official visit.
According to Iranian media reports, the two diplomats discussed bilateral relations, recent regional developments, and issues of mutual interest.
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has inspected the construction work of the second lane of the Kabul–Jalalabad highway, Arg said on Thursday.
According to Arg’s statement , the Prime Minister visited the project site earlier in the day and expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Ministry of Public Works, project officials, and private contracting companies involved in the construction process. He also issued directives for the timely and high-quality completion of the project.
Akhund said the completion of the highway would significantly improve transportation facilities, transit operations, passenger movement, and contribute to economic growth in the surrounding regions.
Officials report that construction work on the second section of the project, covering 32 kilometers from the Kabul side, is currently about 20 percent complete.
Meanwhile, work on the first 22-kilometer section from the Nangarhar side is also ongoing. Surveying and design work for the third section is being carried out by a private company, with construction expected to begin after completion of the preparatory phase.
The Kabul–Jalalabad second-lane highway is regarded as one of Afghanistan’s key transport and economic infrastructure projects and is being developed in three phases.
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