UNSC to Hold Special Meeting on Afghanistan in New York: Afghan Envoy

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to hold special meeting on Afghanistan in New York this week, and Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani to attend the meeting, Ambassador Mahmoud Saikal said on Monday.

The meeting comes as a day earlier President Ashraf Ghani met with UN Security Council members in Kabul, where they discussed key issues on Afghanistan.

At the meeting, Ghani shared evidences with UNSC delegation over training, financing and activities of terrorist groups, including Islamic State outside Afghanistan, according Presidential Palace statement.   

The UN Security Council delegation included the ambassadors of United States, China, Britain, Russia, France, Sweden, Poland, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kuwait, the Netherlands and Peru.

“[The delegation] will present their report of visit to the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday,” said Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, Mahmoud Saikal.

“The UN Security Council will hold a special a meeting at the level of foreign ministers which will focus on security and development as model for Afghanistan and Central Asia,” he said.

Saikal added that the UN’s regime of sanctions against the Taliban and Islamic State militant groups should be supervised and implement accurately.

The Afghan envoy stressed that UN delegation have also discussed on the recent political tensions between ARG and Jamiat-e-Islami party. “It has been urged that the political tensions should be solved through negotiations. Afghanistan has enough issues including dealing with terrorist groups such as the Taliban, Daesh, and Al-Qaeda.”