The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has rejected the US State Department’s decision to place Afghanistan under its highest travel warning, describing the advisory as unjustified and insisting that foreign nationals face no security threats in the country.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said citizens from various countries, including tourists, diplomats, journalists and businesspeople, continue to visit Afghanistan.

He added that those visitors maintain relations with various countries, including the United States, and that security forces pay special attention to protecting foreign nationals and individuals linked to international organisations and governments.

Mujahid said the reasons behind Washington’s concerns would be examined, but maintained that, from the Islamic Emirate’s perspective, no one faces a threat in Afghanistan.

His remarks came after the US Department of State placed Afghanistan among 23 countries under its Level 4 travel advisory, urging American citizens not to travel to the country.

The 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) opened in Antalya, Türkiye, on Monday, November 9, bringing together government leaders, senior officials, scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and civil society representatives from around the world.

The two-week conference, scheduled to run until November 20, aims to strengthen international cooperation, build mutual trust and turn climate commitments into practical and measurable action.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that climate change poses an existential threat to humanity, urging countries to take urgent and collective action to protect human lives.

Guterres stressed that the world can no longer afford endless discussions or shifting responsibility, calling on all countries to do more to address the growing climate crisis.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye wants COP31 to go beyond political declarations and produce concrete decisions that can be implemented to tackle climate challenges.

Erdoğan said more than 600 events have been planned during the conference, showcasing solutions in areas including clean energy, waste management, climate finance and climate-resilient cities.

He emphasized that the real test of the summit would be whether international commitments are translated into tangible results.

The conference comes amid growing concerns over the worldwide impacts of climate change, including prolonged droughts, devastating floods, extreme heat and unusual rainfall patterns.

Afghanistan remains among the countries highly vulnerable to climate change, despite contributing only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions. An Afghan delegation has also been invited to participate in COP31.

The summit provides an important platform for vulnerable countries, including Afghanistan, to highlight climate-related challenges and seek greater international cooperation and support.

The first UN climate change conference, COP1, was held in Berlin, Germany, in 1995. Since then, the annual gatherings have become a major international forum for negotiating global climate policies and addressing environmental challenges.

The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Rabab Fatima, has praised Afghanistan’s efforts to expand access to clean and affordable energy, highlighting the role of local entrepreneurs, manufacturers and international partners.

Speaking during a tour of exhibitors at Afghanistan Energy Week 2026, held under the theme “Development Through Energy”, Fatima commended the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the wider UN family for bringing together Afghan and international stakeholders.

She said the event provided an important platform for public institutions, financial institutions, businesses and development partners to discuss practical solutions for advancing the country’s energy sector.

Fatima also welcomed the participation of Afghan women entrepreneurs working to promote clean and affordable energy, as well as the growing presence of local distributors, producers and manufacturers of solar panels and other green energy technologies.

“I was particularly pleased to see the Afghan women, entrepreneurs here who are doing their bit in advancing clean and affordable energy,” she said.

She described the exhibition as an encouraging start to Afghanistan’s transition towards more affordable and sustainable energy, stressing the need to expand successful initiatives.

Referring to recent visits to Bamiyan and Jalalabad, Fatima said she had seen promising solar energy projects being used by government institutions and UN agencies to support programmes in healthcare, markets and agriculture.

She called for these initiatives to be scaled up, saying a key objective of the energy gathering was to identify ways to expand and build on successful projects already underway.

“The purpose and objective of this meeting here is to see how we can scale up many of the good initiatives that we see here today,” she said.

Fatima expressed confidence that Afghanistan Energy Week would not be the last such event, emphasising the importance of continued cooperation to advance the country’s clean energy ambitions.