Statement of Diplomatic Missions of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on the Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan

The diplomatic missions of Afghanistan welcome and appreciate the strong and unified message conveyed by the international community at the Tashkent International Conference on Afghanistan, which took place from 26-27 July 2022, on the Taliban having to reverse their approach and policies that have thus far violated the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Afghans, resulted in the discrimination of women and girls and other segments of society, disruption of public services,  and which have deepened political, social and economic instability in the country.

We also welcome the strong emphasis made on the crucial need for effective and inclusive governance, by virtue of the formation of a broad-based government that’s able to reflect the rich diversity of Afghanistan which all Afghans value and take pride in, and to garner and strengthen national trust and unity as a crucial need to improve and stabilize the political, economic, security and humanitarian situation in the country. This once gain reflects the continued and strong international consensus which exists on having to reach a political settlement to the unresolved conflict in Afghanistan. Such a settlement requires an inclusive national dialogue that is conducted by the people of Afghanistan and supported by the international community. Moreover, it is evidently clear that any government in Afghanistan will only be deemed and recognized as legitimate, nationally and internationally, if it is based on and able to reflect the will of the Afghan people. To this end, we believe any contractual understanding or agreement with the Taliban on economic, trade and other issues will be void of credibility and therefore unable to meet the long-term interests of relevant parties. While non-Taliban political groups were not invited to and present at the Tashkent Conference due to reservations by the Taliban, we believe it will be essential that future such gatherings on Afghanistan include the presence of Afghanistan’s democratic political forces and civil society in order to reflect the true wishes, demands and aspirations of the people, aimed at achieving a peaceful, stable and democratic Afghanistan that is free from terrorism and violent extremism and able to advance the shared values between the people of Afghanistan and the international community. We once again convey our gratitude to the international community for its continued focus, attention and support for the people of Afghanistan. July 27, 2022