The fourth meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighboring countries plus Russia was held this afternoon, Thursday, April 13, with the presence and speech of Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): This afternoon (Thursday, April 13), the fourth meeting of Afghanistan's neighboring countries was held in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
 
This meeting was attended by foreign ministers and officials of Iran, Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan; It ended moments ago.
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Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, who arrived in Samarkand this morning to participate in this meeting, attended the main meeting and gave a speech for nearly 6 minutes to the foreign ministries of the neighboring countries, including Russia.
 
The details of these words will be published in the supplementary news.
On the sidelines of this meeting, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs met with the Foreign Ministers of Iran and China and discussed important issues.
 
Also, the foreign ministers of Iran, Pakistan, China and Russia held a quadrilateral meeting before the general meeting; At the end, they also issued a joint statement.
 
In this statement, it is said that neighboring countries and the region once again respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and support the principle of "Afghan leadership, Afghan ownership" for the political determination and development path of the country.
 
They have emphasized that all members of the international community have interests in a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, a country that should be a place for international cooperation rather than a scene of geopolitical competition.
 
The foreign ministers of the neighboring countries have expressed their deep concern about the security situation related to terrorism in Afghanistan and said: All terrorist groups, including ISIS, Al-Qaeda, East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban, Balochistan Liberation Army, Jaish al-Adl, etc., are a threat.
 
These ministers of the neighboring countries and the region have mentioned the efforts of the Islamic Emirate government to deal with Daesh Khorasan and added: the Afghan government has taken visible and verifiable measures in implementing its declared commitments in the field of fighting terrorism and eliminating all types of terrorist groups in order to prevent prevent the use of Afghan soil by any terrorist group.
 
The statement continues: These ministers emphasize that the Afghan authorities must take effective measures to maintain the safety, security and legitimate rights of foreign institutions and citizens. Any person who is responsible for any attack and threat of attack on foreign entities and citizens must be held accountable.
 
The quadrilateral joint statement added: The United States of America and its allies must take responsibility for the current difficult situation in Afghanistan, must immediately lift unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan, and return its assets abroad for the benefit of the Afghan people.
 
They have said that they are against the re-establishment of military bases in and around Afghanistan and do not consider it useful for the peace and stability of the region.
 
In the continuation of the joint statement of the Samarkand meeting, it is stated: We ask the Afghan authorities to create an inclusive government with the practical participation of all ethnic groups and political institutions and cancel all restrictive measures against women and ethnic minorities.
 
They have said that they have encouraged Afghanistan to maintain a friendly and cooperative foreign policy, observe international laws and co-exist in harmony with neighboring countries and all countries of the world.
 
The foreign ministers of neighboring countries and the region have emphasized that a peaceful, stable and secure border between Afghanistan and its neighbors is vital and in the interest of all parties. Afghanistan should monitor and prevent illegal cross-border activities. Cross-border issues, including the water issue with neighbors, should be handled properly through dialogue and consultation.
 
They have said that they support all diplomatic efforts to facilitate a political solution to Afghanistan's issues and practically support the positive role played by the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighboring countries and the Moscow format consultations in this regard.
 
In this statement, the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia, China, and the representative of Pakistan have expressed their readiness to continue supporting peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan, conducting economic and commercial exchanges, as well as investing in Afghanistan with the cooperation of regional countries and the international community.
 
They also asked the international community to continue providing humanitarian aid and help Afghanistan strengthen its capacity for sustainable and self-centered development.
 
In this statement, the reception of millions of Afghans by the countries of the region, especially the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan, was appreciated and the international community was asked to provide the necessary support and assistance to these countries.