Rahmon and Guterres discuss Afghanistan developments on sidelines of Shanghai meeting

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon discussed developments in Afghanistan with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as security concerns in Dushanbe along the border with Afghanistan have risen in recent weeks.

The meeting took place on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan. The United Nations said the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation and regional developments, and that Afghanistan was also part of the talks.

The UN did not release further details about the Afghanistan-related discussions. However, the issue was raised as Tajik officials have recently warned about the security consequences of the situation in Afghanistan.

In recent weeks, border incidents and armed clashes have added to Tajikistan’s security concerns. Among them were clashes in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan and a border incident in which a woman was killed in Tajikistan’s Darvoz region after fire was opened from Afghan territory, prompting a response from Tajik officials.

During the meeting, Guterres also praised Tajikistan’s role in water management and its efforts to protect glaciers. Tajikistan is located north of Afghanistan, and parts of the two countries’ border run along Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.