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 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

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called for greater technical and logistical support for Kabul to strengthen Afghanistan’s capacity to combat terrorism.

Speaking at the Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan on Monday, Lavrov said it was in the mutual interest of participating countries to help enhance Afghanistan’s counterterrorism capabilities.

“It is in our mutual interest to help strengthen Kabul’s counter-terrorism capabilities by providing logistical and technical assistance, as well as expert support,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov also praised what he described as the Islamic Emirate’s control over Afghanistan, saying the authorities had brought the country’s territory under control and were “governing it quite successfully.”

He said Afghan security forces were engaged in an “uncompromising struggle” against Islamic State and other militant groups, claiming that hundreds of militants had been killed and several high-profile attacks, including those targeting foreign nationals and diplomatic missions, had been thwarted.

The Russian foreign minister called for continued cooperation between intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, saying closer coordination could further strengthen Kabul’s ability to combat terrorism.

Lavrov also pointed to what he described as progress in Afghanistan’s fight against drug trafficking, citing UN assessments that opium production has fallen by 90 percent since 2022.

He said Russia would continue providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, adding that another shipment was expected to arrive in the country within the next one or two months.

Lavrov also reiterated Moscow’s opposition to any NATO military presence in Afghanistan or neighboring countries, describing the deployment of NATO military infrastructure in the region as “categorically unacceptable.”

He warned that such a presence could contribute to further instability and conflict, citing what he described as the experience of recent decades.

The Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan were launched in 2016 and bring together countries involved in Afghanistan and regional affairs.

The latest meeting was attended by special representatives and senior officials from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Belarus and Egypt participated as invited guests.