Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries said Thursday that the establishment of an inclusive government in Afghanistan is needed for lasting peace in the country.

In a joint statement, the heads of SCO member states said after a two-day meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, an inclusive government needs the broad participation of representatives of all ethnic and political groups and that this was the only way to achieve long-lasting peace in Afghanistan.

This two-day meeting, which started on Wednesday focused on the situation in Afghanistan, security cooperation and Central Asian countries.

The SCO leaders also said they are ready to support efforts to normalize the situation in Afghanistan.

“The member states expressed their readiness to support the efforts of the international community to ensure peace and development in Afghanistan,” the joint statement read.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also announced he supports the start of a contact group of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – Afghanistan.

He added that SCO has traditionally been involved in Afghanistan’s problems.

Tajikistan’s President, Emomali Rahman, also emphasized in the meeting that establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of all SCO member countries.

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The Australian government has appointed Amanda McGregor as its new special envoy to Afghanistan, replacing Glenn Miles.

“Based in Qatar, Ms McGregor will work with like-minded countries to call out the Taliban on its abuse of human rights and support the people of Afghanistan,” Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong Wong said.

“Our diplomats are the driver of Australia’s engagement with the world. They build influence and prosecute Australia’s national interests abroad,” she added.

Before working for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, McGregor was a senior adviser to the Canadian embassy and Prime Minister & Cabinet. She also spent five years at the Department of Defence.

Most recently, McGregor was deputy head of mission at the Australian Embassy in Lebanon.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who led the IEA’s delegation at the third Doha meeting, said Afghanistan is no longer isolated and that an atmosphere of trust has been created with countries the IEA has relations with.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Mujahid said that special envoys at the Doha meeting meeting acknowledged progress made in Afghanistan and that discussions focused on supporting and removing restrictions on the private sector and achievements in the field of fighting drugs.

He stressed that in this meeting the IEA delegation was able to convey and show the demands of the caretaker government and the people of Afghanistan to the world.

“Afghanistan has moved away from isolation; Afghanistan is not isolated. It has its relations with countries and an atmosphere of trust has been created,” said Mujahid.

“The fourth issue was that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been able to manage relations with the countries with which it has diplomatic relations, especially in the field of trade and transit, which is important for Afghanistan and for the countries,” he added.

According to Mujahid, the presentation of Afghanistan’s progress had surprised participants and they accepted the achievements of the IEA.

The private sector and the fight against narcotics are two important issues the IEA raised at the Doha meeting. The IEA called for the lifting of all sanctions, the cancellation of restrictions on the private sector and the return of Afghanistan’s frozen foreign reserves.

Mujahid added that IEA does not want Afghanistan to be a field of competition between powerful countries again.

“We won’t allow Afghanistan to become a conflict [zone] between powerful countries, we want Afghanistan to be the center of attraction for aid and the connecting point of countries, not separation,” he stressed.

He stated that the Kabul delegation had 24 bilateral and multilateral meetings with representatives of specific countries on the sidelines of the Doha-3 meeting and emphasized that IEA wants to have relations with all countries.

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