Quadrilateral sides in Samarkand meeting call on US to lift sanctions against Afghanistan

The foreign ministers of the regional quartet issued a joint statement on Thursday following their unofficial meeting in Uzbekistan’s city of Samarkand, within the framework of a ministerial conference of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries.

According to the statement, the four foreign ministers stressed the importance of respecting Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, expressing their support for the principle of “Afghan ownership and Afghan leadership” to determine the political and development path of the country.

They said all members of the international community would benefit from a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, a country that should be a venue for international cooperation instead of geopolitical competitions.

The ministers voiced their concern over the security situation in Afghanistan, saying all terrorist groups based in the country, including Daesh, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Jaish ul-Adl pose a serious threat to regional and international security.

They called on Afghan officials to take effective measures to improve the security, safety and legitimate rights of its citizens and institutions outside the country.

The ministers voiced their strong objection to the re-establishment of military bases inside Afghanistan, which would not be useful for regional peace and stability, and called on Afghan officials to maintain cordial foreign relations, observe international law, and co-exist peacefully with other countries.

The four ministers expressed their readiness to support Afghanistan’s reconstruction, trade and economic exchanges, and investment in cooperation with regional states. They also called on the international community to send more humanitarian aid to the country.

The second quadrilateral meeting of Iran, Russia, China and Pakistan on Afghanistan in Samarkand was held on the sidelines of the fourth meeting of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries.

Foreign ministers of Iran, Russia, China and Pakistan – Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Sergei Lavrov, Qin Gang and Hina Rabbani Khar, respectively – took part in the meeting.

The first quadrilateral meeting was held on September 16, 2022, on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Tajikistani capital Dushanbe.

Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister expressed concern over terrorism, extremism and the US’ wrong policies on the continuation of terrorism and insecurity in Afghanistan, saying, “Afghanistan, today, needs regional cooperation and solutions more than the intervention of the West, the US and those players who have spread poverty and instability in this important country in the region for more than two decades.”

Amir-Abdollahian added that the US and its allies, as occupying forces, are responsible for their actions in Afghanistan over the past two decades and, as members of the United Nations, they should be held accountable for the ongoing situation in the country.

The top Iranian diplomat strongly advised the de-facto Taliban government in Kabul to fulfill its commitment and establish a comprehensive government with the participation of all Afghan ethnic groups.

He also highlighted the importance of putting an end to tensions in Afghanistan’s border areas with its neighboring states.