Vienna, July 24, 2021- (TDI): In Vienna, a meeting was conducted between the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and its permanent members, in collaboration with the Afghan Embassy. They expressed their support for a diplomatic settlement to the Afghan conflict and conserved the achievements of the previous two decades. They also reviewed Afghanistan’s security environment and its regional consequences. Representatives and Ambassadors from Australia, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, the European Union, Germany, Tajikistan, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation were also present at the meeting.
At the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab spoke about the Taliban’s growth in unimaginable violence and war crimes. He further added that the Taliban have not severed ties with terrorist organizations despite their commitments to peace. They continued to kill people, destroy Afghanistan’s infrastructure, and violate the rights of citizens in collaboration with the terrorists. He also deplored Pakistan’s disregard for the Taliban’s terrorist and destructive activities. He went on to say that they expect all acts by the Taliban to be condemned and that the Taliban will be denied any illegal presence on the soil of other countries.
Manijeh Bakhtiari, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Vienna, stressed the importance of the international community in preserving women’s rights. The OSCE General Secretary, Ms. Helga Schmid, underscored the organization’s support for Afghanistan and the peace process, citing support for women’s rights as one of the key topics in the peace talks process.
In summary, the meeting focused on the Afghan people, the preservation of women’s achievements and rights, and the continuation of peace talks, a ceasefire, and an immediate end of bloodshed.
