Statement by the CSTO PA Council on the situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in connection with withdrawal of international coalition troops from the country

The Council of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in connection with the deterioration of the situation in immediate proximity to the southern borders of the CSTO member states:

Expresses concern of the high level of military activities in Afghanistan, especially in its northern provinces, taking into account foreign military presence, and calls on all Afghan ethnic groups and political forces to create favorable conditions for promotion of peace process and building Afghanistan as an independent and neutral state.

Strongly condemns terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, as there are a lot of victims among civilians, and emphasizes that the activities of ISIS and other international terrorist groups are one of the key components of the instability in the IRA.

Expresses concern of the extremely high level of drug production in Afghanistan, which is one of the main sources of income for terrorist groups in the IRA, and calls on the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, including the National Assembly of Afghanistan, to strengthen efforts to confront the scourge.

Calls on the international community, including national parliaments and international parliamentary organizations, to increase humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan to stem outflows of Afghan refugees into neighboring countries.

Declares its readiness to support the National Assembly of Afghanistan through diplomatic means in advancing the process of national reconciliation to end the war in the shortest possible time and stabilize the situation in Afghanistan.

Confirms its readiness to contribute to the improvement and harmonization of the IRA’s legislation in the field of combating terrorism and illicit drug trafficking, based on the rule-making experience of the Assembly, including the developed model laws and recommendations.