UNICEF Warns Afghanistan’s Water Crisis Is Worsening

October 24, 2026
Khaama Press
UNICEF has warned that worsening water shortages are affecting children and communities across Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s water crisis is worsening due to climate change, rising demand, inadequate funding and infrastructure, and poor management of water resources, UNICEF’s representative in the country has warned.

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, said on Saturday that children and communities were increasingly suffering from the consequences of the growing crisis. He thanked member states, donors and international financial institutions that participated in a UNICEF briefing on Afghanistan’s water challenges.

The warning comes as Afghanistan faces mounting pressure on its water supplies, with drought, declining groundwater resources and rapid urban growth making access to safe water increasingly difficult in some areas.

The Associated Press reported in April 2026 that Kabul’s groundwater levels had fallen by an estimated 25 to 30 metres over the previous decade. The city’s growing population, reduced rainfall, drought and excessive groundwater extraction have intensified shortages, leaving some residents dependent on expensive water supplies or sources that may be unsafe.

UNICEF has also highlighted the wider effects of climate change on children. In June, the agency reported that more than 8.8 million children in Afghanistan were exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards, including droughts, floods and extreme heat. These conditions can disrupt access to safe water, sanitation, healthcare and education.

In a further effort to address shortages, UNICEF and the Government of South Korea announced on October 22 that a water project had established or rehabilitated supply systems serving more than 39,000 children and their families in climate-vulnerable communities. The systems include boreholes, solar-powered pumps, reservoirs and distribution networks.

However, humanitarian needs remain substantial. UNICEF says reliable access to safe water is essential to protecting children’s health and preventing waterborne disease, while improved sanitation and hygiene are also important to reducing the risks of illness and malnutrition.

The agency’s latest warning underscores the need for sustained funding, climate-resilient infrastructure and better management of water resources to help Afghan communities cope with growing shortages

UNICEF Warns Afghanistan’s Water Crisis Is Worsening
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OIC Reaffirms Commitment to Engagement with Afghanistan

October 24, 2026
Hadia Ziaei
Tolo News
23 OCTOBER 2026

The OIC representative also stressed the need for continued, coordinated international support for the Afghan people.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), at the Afghanistan Coordination Group meeting in Doha, emphasized continued engagement with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities and cooperation with the United Nations, World Bank and European Union.

According to a statement, the OIC representative at the meeting identified girls’ education, counterterrorism, food security, and humanitarian and economic assistance as the organization’s priorities regarding Afghanistan. The representative also stressed the need for continued, coordinated international support for the Afghan people.

“The OIC reiterated its commitment to constructive engagement with the de facto authorities on these issues. It also stressed the importance of continued cooperation with international partners, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Union, to ensure the delivery of consistent and integrated humanitarian and economic assistance to Afghanistan,” the OIC statement read.

Sayed Enayatullah Adel, a political analyst, said: “The Organization of Islamic Cooperation should expand its cooperation with Afghanistan and take practical steps. It should also encourage the international community to strengthen its engagement with Afghanistan.”

On Saturday, the OIC held its 52nd two-day Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Baghdad, but no representative from Afghanistan attended.

Aziz Maarij, a former diplomat, said: “If the Organization of Islamic Cooperation develops a framework for cooperation with Afghanistan in the economic and political sectors, as well as strengthening relations with the international community, or at least with Islamic countries, it could help resolve many of Afghanistan’s problems. Unfortunately, Afghanistan’s representatives are not invited to some of the organization’s meetings.”

Mohammad Aslam Daneshmal, a political analyst, said: “The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its member states should take practical steps to establish relations with Afghanistan and move toward recognition.”

Earlier, Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, speaking at the two-day Afghanistan Coordination Group meeting in Doha, emphasized continued international engagement with Afghanistan and said the country’s future should be determined through an inclusive, Afghan-led political process.

Meanwhile, Suhail Shaheen, the Islamic Emirate’s ambassador to Qatar, described the policy of pressure and isolation as unsuccessful, saying positive engagement and broader international cooperation with Afghanistan could help resolve challenges and strengthen regional stability.

OIC Reaffirms Commitment to Engagement with Afghanistan
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UN Marks 81st Anniversary, Reaffirms Commitment to Supporting Afghans

October 24, 2026
TOLOnews
TV Network
24 October 2026

Afghanistan was among the early members of the United Nations, joining the organization in 1946 alongside Iceland and Sweden.

Today, October 24, marks the 81st anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

The United Nations operates in Afghanistan across various sectors, including political and diplomatic affairs, humanitarian assistance, human rights, education, counter-narcotics, and healthcare.

On this occasion, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA described the United Nations as a committed partner of Afghanistan, emphasizing that the country’s future belongs to its people and that the organization will continue supporting Afghans.

Rabab Fatima, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, said: “Afghanistan’s future belongs to its people, and the United Nations will remain a committed and trusted partner alongside the Afghan people as they shape their country’s future.”

In a statement, the United Nations expressed concern over restrictions imposed on women and girls and the challenges facing returning migrants. Praising the resilience of the Afghan people, the organization noted that decades of war, poverty, displacement, and climate change have created numerous challenges for the population.

Enayatullah Adel, a political analyst, said: “As its name suggests, the United Nations should bring countries and nations together to defend human rights and resolve disputes between them.”

Afghanistan was among the early members of the United Nations, joining the organization in 1946 alongside Iceland and Sweden.

However, the organization has also faced criticism in recent years.

Sair Quraishi, an economic analyst, said: “The people of Afghanistan are facing serious economic challenges today. Therefore, the United Nations should reduce its administrative expenses and avoid duplicating activities.”

The Islamic Emirate has also previously criticized the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), saying the mission has not been successful in fulfilling its mandate in the country.

Nevertheless, the United Nations continues its operations in Afghanistan at a time when humanitarian needs remain widespread.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s representation at the United Nations remains unresolved, with the country’s seat lacking a formally recognized representative of the current authorities.

UN Marks 81st Anniversary, Reaffirms Commitment to Supporting Afghans
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New UN Envoy Says Afghanistan’s Future Must Be Shaped by Its People

October 24, 2026

Mujeeb Rahman Awrang

Kabul Tribune

24 October 2026

The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The United Nations’ new special representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, has pledged to work alongside the Afghan people as they confront years of conflict, displacement and humanitarian crises, emphasizing that the country’s future must be determined by its own citizens.

In a video message marking the United Nations’ 81st anniversary on Saturday, Fatima said she was beginning her responsibilities in Afghanistan with deep respect for its people, culture and heritage, and a commitment to listening and engaging with communities.

“The future of Afghanistan belongs to its people, and the United Nations will remain a committed partner as Afghans shape that future,” she said.

Fatima praised the resilience of Afghans who have continued serving their communities despite decades of instability and hardship.

She highlighted the contributions of women, young people, teachers, health workers, community leaders and humanitarian workers, describing their dedication as a source of hope and inspiration.

The U.N. envoy acknowledged the scale of Afghanistan’s challenges but said the abilities and aspirations of its people offered greater potential for the country’s future.

“The challenges facing Afghanistan are significant, but the talents, aspirations, and potential of its people are even greater,” she said.

Fatima reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to supporting Afghans and advocating for dignity, opportunity and improved living conditions across the country.

She also reflected on Afghanistan’s long relationship with the United Nations, noting that the country joined the organization in 1946, a year after its establishment.

For nearly eight decades, she said, the U.N. and its humanitarian partners have supported Afghan communities through conflict, drought, displacement and natural disasters.

The special representative said the organization, established in the aftermath of World War II, remains guided by the belief that peace can be achieved through dialogue, international cooperation and shared humanity.

Her remarks come as Afghanistan continues to face significant humanitarian and economic challenges, with vulnerable communities struggling to recover from years of conflict and recurring natural disasters.

Marking United Nations Day, observed annually on Oct. 24, Fatima called for confidence in Afghanistan’s future and renewed the organization’s commitment to working with its people.

The United Nations was founded in 1945, and Afghanistan became a member the following year.

New UN Envoy Says Afghanistan’s Future Must Be Shaped by Its People
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Pakistan urges Afghanistan to act against militants and denies recruiting Afghan fighters

October 24, 2026
By MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press
October 24, 2026

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan urged Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Saturday to take verifiable action against militants it says operate from Afghan territory, dismissing Kabul’s assertion that Islamabad was shifting blame for its own security failures.

In a separate statement on X, Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected allegations that it was arming Afghans to fight the Taliban or recruiting them to fight anti-Pakistan insurgents. Former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had cited reports of both activities a day earlier.

The exchanges come amid heightened tensions between the two sides over militant activity, repeated border clashes and Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan, deepening a longstanding dispute over responsibility for cross-border violence.

Khalilzad on Friday wrote on X that there had been reports of Pakistan arming Afghans to fight the Taliban inside Afghanistan and of the Pakistani military recruiting Afghans to fight anti-Pakistan insurgents. He offered no evidence, and did not identify the sources of those reports.

Last month, Afghanistan said its forces killed 28 fighters and captured 32 others, including alleged members of the Islamic State group said to have crossed from neighboring Pakistan.

Pakistan frequently accuses Kabul of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, as well as the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, and al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, an affiliate of the global extremist network. The TTP is separate from but closely allied with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban.

On Friday, the Afghan Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that Kabul was not responsible for insecurity in Pakistan. He accused Pakistani military and security agencies of shifting blame when they failed to maintain security at home. He said Kabul had neither an interest in destabilizing Pakistan nor the capability to foment or finance unrest in other countries.

In Islamabad, the Information Ministry on X said those assertions did not address what it described as documented security concerns. It cited attempted cross-border infiltration, the deaths of Afghan nationals and members of militant groups during Pakistani counterterrorism operations, and the recovery of foreign-origin weapons as matters requiring scrutiny.

According to the ministry, the U.S. report covering January through March 2026 estimated the strength of the Pakistani Taliban at 4,000 to 6,000 fighters.

Pakistan is currently conducting multiple operations against militants near the Afghan border.

The ministry said these security measures were aimed at targeting militant threats, not the Afghan people. It urged the Taliban government to end any tolerance, facilitation or support for militant organizations, including the TTP and the BLA, and prevent Afghan territory from being used to plan or launch attacks against Pakistan.

Militant violence has surged in Pakistan in recent years, with much of it blamed on TTP and BLA. Pakistan says many TTP leaders and BLA insurgents have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power there in 2021, an allegation Kabul denies.

Pakistani authorities say more than 2,800 militant attacks since January have killed 3,000 people across Pakistan, mainly in the northwest and Balochistan province.

 

Pakistan urges Afghanistan to act against militants and denies recruiting Afghan fighters
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Islamabad rebuts Kabul’s stance on ‘lacking capacity’ to fuel insecurity in Pakistan, slams ‘diversionary allegations’

October 24, 2026
DAWN

The information ministry on Saturday rebutted the Afghan Taliban’s stance that it lacked the “capabilities” to fuel insecurity in other countries and criticised it for resorting to “diversionary allegations” instead of preventing the use of Afghanistan’s soil for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.

The ministry’s rebuttal comes after spokesperson for the interim Taliban administration in Afghanistan, Zabiullah Mujahid, said in a statement on X last night that it was not in his country’s “interest to create insecurity in Pakistan or to support any acts of instability there”.

He further contended that the Taliban “do not possess capabilities or resources to foment or finance insecurity in other countries”, and claimed that Islamabad’s “misguided approach distracted Pakistan’s security forces from their own duties”.

On Saturday, the information ministry said the Afghan Taliban “once again resorted to diversionary allegations instead of addressing Pakistan’s legitimate and longstanding security concerns”.

“Pakistan’s concerns are not based on conjecture,” it asserted, adding that the “assertion that Afghanistan lacks either the capacity or the interest to destabilise Pakistan does not address these documented concerns”.

It backed its stance on cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan by citing a report by the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team and another report submitted to the United States Congress.

The UNSC team, in its 16th report, “examined the presence and activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan”, the ministry said.

It further noted that the report by the US Lead Inspector General’s Operation Enduring Sentinel for January-March 2026 stated that the Afghan Taliban continued to allow the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory.

The ministry also highlighted other findings from the report, which stated that the Taliban continued to allow TTP “greater liberty and support, resulting in increased TTP attacks against Pakistan”. It added that TTP remained the “largest in number” among those groups.

“The report estimated TTP strength at 4,000–6,000 fighters. These assessments underscore the seriousness of Pakistan’s concerns regarding terrorist sanctuaries and support networks operating from Afghan soil,” the information ministry emphasised.

“Repeated attempts by armed terrorists to infiltrate across Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the killing of Afghan nationals and members of terrorist groups during Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations, and the recovery of foreign-origin weapons from terrorist elements, all warrant serious scrutiny,” the ministry stressed.

It noted that Pakistan had also raised concerns over “alleged facilitation of terrorist groups by Afghan Taliban officials, including officials in Kandahar”. “Such concerns cannot be dismissed through blanket denials; they require credible explanations and verifiable action.”

The ministry further said that “blaming Pakistan’s security institutions does not absolve the [Afghan Taliban] regime of its responsibility to prevent Afghan territory from being used for terrorism against Pakistan”.

‘Legitimate security concerns’

The ministry clarified that Pakistan’s “security measures are directed against terrorist threats, not the Afghan people”.

“Attempts to portray Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and necessary defensive measures as hostility towards Afghanistan will neither deflect attention from the issue nor resolve it,” it stressed.

Pointing out that peace and stability were closely linked, it highlighted that Afghan people stand “as much to gain from a region free of terrorism as their Pakistani neighbours”.

“The Afghan Taliban regime must end any tolerance, facilitation or support for terrorist organisations, including TTP, BLA (Baloch Liberation Army) and their affiliates, and ensure that Afghan territory is not used to plan, prepare or launch attacks against Pakistan,” the ministry demanded.

It declared that Islamabad “will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens, sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

The ministry affirmed that Pakistan “remains open to responsible engagement based on mutual respect, verifiable commitments and concrete action against terrorist sanctuaries, support networks and cross-border infiltration”.

“However, Afghan Taliban regime must understand that peace can only prevail in the region if Pakistan’s core concern of terrorism originating from Afghanistan is verifiably addressed by the Afghan Taliban,” the statement concluded.

Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained in the past few years as Islamabad continues to voice its concern over cross-border terrorism.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP, that are used for attacks in Pakistan. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.

September witnessed another bout of conflict between the two neighbours, with Pakistan carrying out calibrated airstrikes in the border region in response to terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This was followed by drone incursions from across the border, which Islamabad said were shot down, and two further rounds of retaliatory airstrikes.

Pakistan rejects Khalilzad’s allegations of arming Afghans

Earlier in the day, the information ministry rejected former United States envoy Zalmay Khalilzad’s “baseless and misleading allegations” that Pakistan was “arming Afghans to fight the Taliban”.

The ministry’s response came a day after Khalilzad, who served as special representative to Afghanistan during the first Trump administration, claimed on X that there were “many reports that Pakistan is arming Afghans to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan”. He further alleged that Pakistan was now “recruiting Afghans to fight against anti-Pakistan insurgents”, adding that ties between the two countries were likely to “get much worse”.

“His sweeping baseless assertions merely recycle speculative narratives as part of his personal agenda to prop [the] terrorism-supporting Taliban regime,” the information ministry’s fact-check account said on X.

It rebuked Khalilzad, saying his “[peddling] of such unsubstantiated allegations only exposes his skewed agenda-based views”.

Islamabad rebuts Kabul’s stance on ‘lacking capacity’ to fuel insecurity in Pakistan, slams ‘diversionary allegations’
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‘Open War’ Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Adds a Volatile Element

October 22, 2026

By Elian Peltier

Elian Peltier is the bureau chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The New York Times

China has tried to mediate, unsuccessfully. So have Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. And yet the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan shows no sign of ending, and each side appears to have abandoned diplomacy. Proxy groups are also playing a growing role in the fighting.

In the latest round of fighting on Saturday, Pakistan’s military claims to have destroyed a military camp along the rugged, porous border and killed Afghan soldiers. A provincial spokesman for the Afghan military denied that there were any Afghan casualties and claimed instead that the Taliban had killed 13 Pakistani soldiers.

The conflict could become even more unpredictable, said Ibraheem Bahiss, an expert on Afghanistan at the International Crisis Group, as both sides embrace proxy groups: The Taliban in Afghanistan are accused of failing to restrain incursions by armed groups in the borderland that target Pakistan, while Pakistan is warming to the idea of supporting anti-Taliban armed opposition.

On Sept. 27, the Taliban said they had killed 28 militiamen and captured 32 others who had tried to enter Afghanistan from Pakistan. The Pakistani government called the accusations “baseless.”

“The proxy standoff is intensifying, and that’s a more dangerous escalation,” Mr. Bahiss said.

Pakistan’s military and intelligence officials have met with leaders of anti-Taliban armed groups in recent months to offer potential support, according to a Pakistani intelligence official, a former national security official briefed on the meetings, and a senior Afghan member of one of those groups.

The conflict between the two countries, which escalated when Pakistan declared “open war” in late February, has stymied months of effort to broker peace and killed or injured at least 1,100 Afghan civilians. More than 730 civilians have been killed in militant attacks in Pakistan this year, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, a New Delhi-based monitoring platform.

In April, China hosted talks that went nowhere. On Oct. 5, a meeting in Moscow on Afghan security among 10 countries in the region failed to produce a joint statement because of disagreements between the Afghan and Pakistani delegations, according to Vladimir V. Putin’s special representative for Russia.

“The two sides are so fixated on their own position and righteousness of their arguments that no one has the ability to coerce or strong-arm either, even China,” said Mr. Bahiss.

“It is progressing from a low-grade confrontation to an entrenched conflict that has the potential to spiral out of control,” said Amira Jadoon, an associate professor of political science at Clemson University and a South Asia security expert. “But the underlying issue is never resolved.”

That issue is the Taliban’s support for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban. Thousands of militants from the group navigate the porous border to stage attacks on Pakistani security forces. Security experts and officials attribute a sharp increase in attacks on Pakistan to the permissive environment provided by the Afghan Taliban since 2021.

There have been, on average, more than one militant attack a day on Pakistani security forces this year, according to a tally by the Pak Institute of Peace Studies, a research center based in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.

The Taliban have denied providing any support for militant attacks on Pakistan.

Publicly, both sides say they remain open to diplomacy, but the Pakistani government says it won’t negotiate with the Taliban until they commit to stopping supporting militant groups.

“It doesn’t seem to be as much a long-term strategy as the outcome of pent-up frustration,” said Mr. Khan, head of the Afghanistan program at the Institute of Regional Studies. “And pent-up frustration isn’t viable in the long term.”

Civilians on both sides of the border say they are bearing the brunt of the violence.

In the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, some residents said they worry that a recent power grab by the federal government against provincial officials could give the military an even freer hand in launching operations without any accountability.

“It will cause displacement again and create more chaos,” said Amjad Wazir, a university student from the region.

Across the border, Mohammad Idris Zazi, a taxi driver in Paktia Province, where Saturday’s clashes erupted, said he could not work because of the relentless airstrikes and shelling. He said, “What have we done wrong to deserve to become victims of disputes between the two countries?”

Zia ur-Rehman and Safiullah Padshah contributed reporting.

Elian Peltier is The Times’s bureau chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan, based in Islamabad.

‘Open War’ Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Adds a Volatile Element
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UNAMA Confirms Attack on Staff Member in Afghanistan’s Bamyan

October 22, 2026
Khaama Press
Reported UNAMA Security Incident in Bamyan

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is gathering information about a security incident involving one of its staff members in Bamyan province, the mission said Thursday.

A UNAMA spokesperson said the incident occurred on Wednesday evening and that the mission was still examining the details.

The staff member was not injured and is safe, the spokesperson said. UNAMA has not yet released further details about the incident.

According to local sources, armed assailants opened fire on a vehicle carrying a UNAMA security official at around 6:30 p.m. in Bamyan city. Images appeared to show damage to the vehicle, including a mark on the windshield consistent with a bullet impact and a shattered side window.

UNAMA did not identify the staff member or explicitly confirm that gunfire was involved.

The incident comes amid ongoing security concerns in Afghanistan, where despite the authorities’ claims of improved security, sporadic attacks, armed violence and unexplained security incidents continue to be reported in various parts of the country. The circumstances surrounding the incident in Bamyan, including the motive and those responsible, remain unclear, and UNAMA has said it is still gathering information.

The United Nations and other international organisations have continued to monitor Afghanistan’s security and humanitarian situation since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. While the scale and nature of violence have changed, attacks claimed by militant groups, including Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K), remain a concern. However, no available information establishes a link between the reported incident involving the UN staff member in Bamyan and any militant group.

UNAMA Confirms Attack on Staff Member in Afghanistan’s Bamyan
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Islamic Emirate Leader Warns Against Misuse of Government Resources

October 22, 2026
TOLOnews
TV Network
22 October 2026

Sheikh Hibatullah also emphasized unity and mutual acceptance, urging caution in the use of public funds, vehicles and weapons.

The leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, has stressed that government resources and equipment must not be misused or used for personal purposes during an address at the 205th Al-Badr Army Corps.

Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada also emphasized unity and mutual acceptance, urging caution in the use of public funds, vehicles and weapons.

A statement from the Islamic Emirate spokesperson’s office quoted him as saying: “Be very careful in using public resources, vehicles and weapons, and do not misuse them. Maintain unity and solidarity among yourselves and stay away from ethnic favoritism and personal loyalties. Put the interests of the system above your personal interests and practice piety and religious devotion.”

The Islamic Emirate leader also called on security forces to avoid ethnic favoritism and personal loyalties and to prioritize the interests of the current government over their personal interests.

Another part of the statement quoted Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada as saying: “Do not engage in useless activities and continue pursuing education. Respect your elders and teachers and obey them.”

Previously, during a graduation ceremony for security forces in Kandahar province, the Islamic Emirate leader also emphasized protecting public property, treating people well and avoiding arrogance.

Islamic Emirate Leader Warns Against Misuse of Government Resources
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Russia Pledges to Expand Security Cooperation with Afghanistan

October 22, 2026
TOLOnews
22 October 2026

Russia says it will expand its cooperation with Kabul in the areas of counterterrorism, counter-narcotics and security.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the intergovernmental agreement on military and technical cooperation between Russia and Afghanistan, signed on the sidelines of an international security conference in Moscow in May this year, was intended to strengthen Afghanistan’s defense capabilities and its ability to combat terrorism.

Zakharova added that addressing security threats in the region is a shared responsibility of countries.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said: “Russia will continue to expand its cooperation with Kabul in combating terrorism and drug trafficking, as well as in the broader field of security.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also commented on the dispute between Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying that Russia supports a political and diplomatic solution and stands ready to assist in resolving the dispute if both sides are interested.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said: “We remain committed to pursuing political and diplomatic means. If both sides are interested, we are ready to assist them in this regard using all available means. Both sides are aware of our position.”

Political analyst Sayed Moqaddam Amin said: “The dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan has destabilized the region, and Russia has considerable influence here. It can exert pressure on Pakistan while also finding common ground with the Islamic Emirate.”

These remarks come as Russia has launched efforts in recent weeks to ease tensions between the two countries, including recent visits by Russian officials to Kabul, Islamabad and New Delhi.

Earlier, the foreign ministers of Russia and Iran emphasized the need to reduce tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan and called for continued consultations to address the issue.

Russia Pledges to Expand Security Cooperation with Afghanistan
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