The United Nations Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for one year.

All 15 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution, reflecting broad international support for the mission’s ongoing role in Afghanistan.

UNAMA serves as the United Nations’ principal political mission in Afghanistan and is tasked with supporting peace and stability, coordinating humanitarian assistance, promoting human rights, and engaging with Afghan authorities and international stakeholders on key political and development issues.

The extension comes as Afghanistan continues to face significant humanitarian and economic challenges.

UNAMA, established in 2002 after the fall of first IEA government, has usually been extended annually, although there was a six-month extension in 2021 to look at what changes might ​be needed after the IEA returned to power. In March this year, the mandate was extended for three months, after Washington called for a review of assistance and engagement in the country.

The Strategic Studies Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is set to host a high-level regional meeting of leading research and policy institutions from Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Azerbaijan in Kabul on 16 June 2026.

The gathering will bring together heads of strategic studies centres, researchers, and policy experts from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan. The participating institutions operate under the respective presidential administrations of their countries.

Officials say the meeting comes amid growing engagement between Afghanistan and regional states, with discussions expected to focus on regional connectivity, stability, trade, energy cooperation, transit, and investment. Participants will also review current cooperation frameworks and develop practical recommendations for future collaboration.

A key aspect of the forum is the direct exchange of views between research institutions on shared regional challenges and opportunities, aimed at strengthening coordination and mutual understanding.

The meeting will be officially inaugurated by Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Organisers say the forum reflects Afghanistan’s balanced, economy-oriented foreign policy and is expected to contribute to greater trust-building, expanded economic and transit cooperation, and long-term stability and shared prosperity across the region.

The initiative underscores Afghanistan’s continued role as an active participant in advancing regional connectivity and economic integration.

Construction work on the Afghanistan section of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline is progressing steadily, with officials confirming that around 84 kilometres of pipeline have now been installed.

Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, spokesman for the governor of Herat, said the major regional infrastructure project has reached approximately 60 percent completion, with efforts underway to finalise the remaining work by the end of the current year.

He added that groundwork has been completed along roughly 130 kilometres of the route, while 108 kilometres are now fully prepared for pipeline installation.

Technical and engineering teams, along with skilled workers, remain actively engaged in construction. The pipeline route extends from Rabat-e-Sangi district near the Turkmenistan border and has now reached parts of Zinda Jan district in Herat province.

Saeedi said sufficient equipment, machinery, and logistical support have been deployed to the site, noting that there are currently no major obstacles affecting implementation.

The TAPI pipeline is regarded as one of the region’s most significant energy and economic initiatives, aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and strengthening energy cooperation among the participating countries.