Leaders from member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) following a meeting in Astana on Thursday called for establishment of an inclusive government in Afghanistan to ensure stability and prosperity in the country.

In the Declaration of the Collective Security Council of Russia-led military alliance, they also called for increase in the level of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

"We stand for the establishment of Afghanistan as a peaceful, independent and united state, free from war, terrorism and drugs,” reads the declaration. “We note the importance of forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan that will represent the interests of all segments of the population and ethnic groups as one of the key factors for ensuring a stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

“We call on the international community to increase the volume of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in order to support the population and develop this country's infrastructure.”

The members of the Council believe that the development of economic interconnectedness and integration of Afghanistan into the regional economic systems will contribute to strengthening peace and stability. The Council also emphasized the potential of the multilateral platforms on regulation of the situation in Afghanistan including under the UN aegis.

"We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening and improving collective efforts in the fight against international terrorism, extremism, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, illegal arms trafficking, illegal migration, as well as protecting the population from natural and man-made disasters," the document reads.

This comes as the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly claimed that the current government in Afghanistan is inclusive and it represents all ethnic groups in the country.

Russia sees an opportunity to boost relations with Afghanistan amid the country's stabilization, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"The CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] is not only alive but thriving," Putin told journalists following the CSTO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. "All member countries participating in its work are interested in maintaining these ties both now and in the future."

"What’s going on in Ukraine is not the only reason things are difficult. Is everything so good in Asia? He added. - Should the events on the borders of the commonwealth countries with Afghanistan make us feel so good as to turn our attention elsewhere?"

"The situation in Afghanistan is complex," Putin noted. "Still, we hope to build strong relations with Afghanistan."

"We cannot ignore the fact that the situation in the country is stabilizing. We are engaged in bilateral relations with the current authorities of Afghanistan and they [the relations] will be developed further," the Russian president added.

"However, the situation remains complicated and demands our close attention, including from the CSTO," Putin said. "After all, the CSTO is concerned not only with military issues, but also with fighting organized crime, drug trafficking and so on. So there is plenty of work to do, and member states are equally interested in addressing this."

On November 25, an extensive Russian delegation, which was led by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu and also included Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, held four meetings with Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad for Political Affairs Abdul Kabir, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar, Acting Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob, and Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Afghanistan’s Justice Ministry announced Thursday that after a review of land ownership in Sherpur area in Kabul’s 10th district, the Land Grab Prevention Commission found that 155 acres had been usurped.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the land belongs to the government and the process of reclaiming it will start in the near future.

Sherpur had during the 20 years of occupation under the US and NATO troops been incorporated into the city’s “Green Zone”, a highly fortified area that housed mostly government officials, NGOs and foreign contractors.

It was also directly linked to Wazir Akbar Khan’s primary “Green Zone”, or diplomatic enclave.

The area however is steeped in history, having been the site of the ill-fated siege of the British cantonment during the second Anglo-Afghan War in 1879.

It reportedly remained largely military land through the years but in September 2003, armed police and bulldozers violently ejected around 250 people from land.

According to the Middle East Institute, the authorities demolished homes to make way for lavish mansions that sprang up over the next few years; plots having been dished out to the then freshly empowered elite and allies of the interim republic government.

Given its close proximity to the city center, the Sherpur land is considered extremely valuable.

In August 2022, Sherpur again made headlines. This time when the United States allegedly took out Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda, in a drone strike.

On Thursday however, the Islamic Emirate said that in accordance with a decree issued by their supreme leader, if land is found to have been usurped then it must be reclaimed “as soon as possible”.

The statement read: “The land, bordered to the east by streets 16, 6, and 15 of Wazir Akbar Khan; to the west by Qassabi Alley; to the north by Wazir Akbar Khan Hill and Shaheed Square; and to the south by Sher Ali Khan Road, has been reviewed by the Technical Committee of the Commission to Prevent Land Seizure and Confiscation, in coordination with Kabul Municipality.”

The Islamic Emirate claimed that no documentation had been provided by occupants to prove private ownership of the parcels of land and instead the area had been developed “arbitrarily and against planned designs.”