The foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Wednesday called for an end to violence in Afghanistan against civilians and the authorities and urged the Afghan government to strengthen its position for the sake of stability.
In a statement, quoted by Reuters, the SCO foreign ministers called for a purely peaceful settlement.
Tajikistan is presiding over the organization this year and will host a meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council in September.
"A month ago, we marked a momentous date — the 20th anniversary of the SCO’s establishment. Over the past period of time, the organization has successfully travelled the path of its establishment and took a prominent place among international institutions. Our organization considers a whole range of issues on its agenda — from politics and security to economic and humanitarian cooperation," Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon said as quoted by TASS.
Also, India on Wednesday called on members of the SCO to act against terrorism and terror financing during a meeting in the Tajikistan capital that was dominated by the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, Hindustan Times reported.
The meeting is also being attended by representatives from countries with observer status with SCO, including Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar.
“Afghanistan, public health and economic recovery are pressing issues. Combating terrorism and extremism is the key purpose of SCO. Must stop terror financing and deter digital facilitation,” Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a tweet after addressing the meeting.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that stability and peace in Afghanistan has a clear effect on regional security in the SCO space.
“As a shared responsibility, Pakistan has played its part in facilitating an Afghan led and owned peace process,” Qureshi said. “We stand ready to craft deeper partnerships with SCO states to reinforce efforts for sustainable peace.”
“It is essential to ensure that mistakes of the past are not repeated, and that sustained efforts are made for the eradication of terrorism and extremism in all forms and manifestations from the region. Peace is strongly underpinned by economic growth and human development for allm” Qureshi tweeted.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a statement on Wednesday asked all parties to agree on ceasefire during Eid.
"Those genuinely interested in the future of Afghanistan and its people should prioritize negotiating a peace and committing to measures, including safeguarding the country’s infrastructure, that will show a real concern for the welfare of all Afghans," UN said.
Joining other international and Afghan voices, the UN said the best way to end harm to civilians is for peace talks to be re-invigorated in order for a negotiated settlement to be reached.
The statement also referenced the protection of infrastructure, as Taliban fighters have been destroying government buildings in their attacks on district centers in the country.
Meanwhile, quoted by the Daily Telegraph, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said his government will work with the Taliban should they enter the government in Afghanistan.
"Whatever the government of the day is, provided it adheres to certain international norms, the UK government will engage with it," he said.
However, Wallace warned that Britain will review any relationship "if they behave in a way that is seriously against human rights".