Guterres and Tajik President Rahmon discuss Afghanistan at Shanghai summit
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon discussed the situation in Afghanistan on Monday on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, in a meeting held as security concerns in Tajikistan rise over threats emanating from Afghan territory.
The United Nations said the two sides exchanged views on bilateral cooperation and regional developments, particularly the current situation in Afghanistan. However, the UN statement gave no further details on the Afghanistan-related points discussed.
The meeting took place as Tajik officials have repeatedly warned in recent months about security threats coming from Afghan territory. In recent weeks, armed clashes in Badakhshan province, near the Tajik border, have also heightened tensions.
In one such incident, after gunfire from the Afghan side struck Tajikistan’s Darwaz region and a woman was killed, Dushanbe lodged an official protest with the Taliban administration. The incident once again highlighted concerns over the security situation along Afghanistan’s northern borders.
The United Nations also said Guterres, in the meeting, praised Tajikistan’s leadership and cooperation in water management and glacier protection.
At the same time, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit is under way in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, focusing on regional security, regional connectivity and counterterrorism, especially against ISIS. Afghanistan has been an observer member of the organisation since 2012; however, after the Taliban administration returned to power in 2021, its representatives have not been invited to official SCO meetings.
