The Taliban administration has welcomed the joint stance of four neighboring and regional countries opposing the establishment of foreign military bases on Afghan soil. The remarks came after the foreign ministers of Iran, China, Russia, and Pakistan emphasized during a meeting in New York that Afghanistan must not host foreign forces.
The quadrilateral meeting was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. In their final statement, the countries reaffirmed Afghanistan’s independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity as inviolable principles. They warned that the return of foreign bases to Afghanistan would only fuel regional instability rather than promote peace.
In response, Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman of the Taliban, welcomed the statement, saying, “Afghanistan will not allow any foreign country to use its soil militarily.” He added that the Taliban would also prevent the presence of armed groups in the country, rejecting claims that Afghanistan poses a threat to others.
These developments follow recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Washington intends to take control of the Bagram airbase. He warned of unspecified consequences if Afghanistan refused. The Taliban rejected the proposal and responded with criticism.
Fitrat further claimed that the Taliban seek to build relations with regional and global countries based on mutual respect, describing the regional approach toward Afghanistan as “realistic” and stressing the importance of regional cooperation. Despite such claims, the Taliban remain unrecognized internationally and face ongoing accusations of human rights abuses and repression of domestic opposition.
