International community concerned over presence of terror groups in Afghanistan & region

At the 2020 Afghanistan Conference on November 23 and 24, the International Community along with the Afghan government expressed concern about the threat posed by terrorist organisations like Al Qaeda, ISIL and Taliban among others in the region. As per the official statement, the international community denounced all terrorist activity, attacks and reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that Afghanistan is not used by the international terrorist organisations to threaten or attack other nations. The 2020  Afghanistan Conference was also attended by India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and highlighted the ímmediate and comprehensive ceasefire to stop the violence'. 

The participants of the International Community, in an official statement, said, "We express deep concern about the threat posed by terrorism to Afghanistan and the region, express serious concern over the continuing presence of ISIL, Al-Qaida as well as other international terrorist organizations and their affiliated groups in Afghanistan. Neither the Taliban nor any other Afghan entity, group or individual should support terrorists operating on the territory of any country."

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 'Facilitating Afghanistan Peace Negotiations'

Welcoming the commencement of Afghanistan Peace Negotiations on September 12, 2020, the International Community pointed out that the negotiations are aimed at political settlement as well as peace and stability in the region. Recognising the efforts of the Afghan government to maintain peace and prevent terrorism in the region, the International Community called for cooperation between Afghanistan as well as other countries and international partners. The participants also expressed concerns with regards to illicit drugs trafficking, cultivation, production, and trade in the country. 

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"We welcome the efforts of all regional and international partners of Afghanistan in this regard and recognize the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan and of all other Afghan actors, including the two negotiating teams in facilitating the Afghanistan Peace Negotiations. We further call for continued cooperation between the Afghan Government, international partners, and neighbouring countries to stem irregular migration through enhanced collaborative efforts to fight migrants smuggling and human trafficking networks. We call upon the Afghan Government and the international community to strengthen efforts to counter this threat through international, regional and sub-regional cooperation," the participants said. 

Speaking at the event, United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres said, "We urges immediate humanitarian ceasefire to save lives, curb COVID-19 impact & better atmosphere for Afghanistan Peace Negotiations. We have a moment of hope when combined with enhanced economic opportunity supported by Afghanistan2020."

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(With inputs from ANI)