Taliban: All opinions on Afghanistan forums are just opinions

All opinions expressed at meetings on Afghanistan are personal in nature and do not lead to any consequences for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, the Taliban’s self-name for the country). This was stated in the IEA commentary on the 11th Herat Security Dialogue on the topic: “Reimagining Afghanistan: The Way Forward” held in Dushanbe.

It was attended by a number of policy makers, human rights activists, members of civil society and representatives of countries of the region. Participants of the meeting emphasized the need to establish an inclusive government to address political and economic problems of Afghanistan.

The head of the Advisory Council of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies Rangin Dadfar Spanta addressed the neighboring countries: “I would like to tell the neighbors of Afghanistan that we want to be a free and neutral country. Afghanistan cannot achieve economic prosperity and peace alone. We can only overcome these challenges through regional convergence.”

As Ariana News emphasizes, the IEA has repeatedly stated that it pursues an economic-focused foreign policy and wants to contribute actively to the economic prosperity of the region. The Taliban also stated that they consider the current Afghan government to be inclusive, meaning that it reflects the interests of all ethnic groups of the population.