Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan hold US, allies responsible for 'disastrous situation' in Afghanistan

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The foreign ministers of Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan on Thursday held the US and its allies, who hastily withdrew from Afghanistan in 2020, responsible for the country's "disastrous situation."

The four officials held an informal meeting on the sidelines of a conference of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighboring countries in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

They also discussed strengthening coordination on Afghanistan to neutralize security threats emanating from the territory.

The foreign ministers agreed to build a united, consolidated regional approach for Afghan affairs, to interact with the interim Taliban administration for the sake of internal stability in Afghanistan, and to avoid a humanitarian crisis.

"The participants agreed that the main responsibility for the disastrous situation in Afghanistan lies with the US and its allies in connection with the failure of their 20-year experiment in this country," a joint statement said.

The sides also stressed the unacceptability of the deployment of US-NATO military infrastructure in Afghanistan and the surrounding region.

On Aug. 15, 2021, the Western-backed Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban entered Kabul, concluding a rapid takeover of the country as the US was completing the military withdrawal to which it agreed in February 2020.

Since then, Afghanistan is facing a deepening economic and humanitarian crisis characterized by a massive cut in donor assistance, food insecurity, and a cash crunch. There are also rights concerns, including restrictions on women’s access to education and work.