KABUL/MASHAD (SW) – The absence of Afghanistan from the 28th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), despite being a member of the organization and having close economic ties with its members, is deemed unacceptable by experts.
They argue that this exclusion reflects a dual and ambiguous stance from regional countries toward Afghanistan.
The session was held on Tuesday, December 3, in Mashhad, Iran, with the participation of Iran’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Abbas Araghchi.
The foreign ministers and senior diplomatic representatives of Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan gathered to discuss the expansion of economic, cultural, and social cooperation.
The Islamic Emirate had previously called for Afghanistan’s role to be considered in regional matters. However, despite Afghanistan being a member of the organization, it has not been invited to the ECO meetings for the past three years.
Sayed Akbar Siyal, an international relations expert, commented: “Afghanistan’s exclusion from this meeting and the inconsistent invitations extended to the Islamic Emirate by some of the member countries suggest that these nations lack a unified and clear position toward the Islamic Emirate.”
Janat Fahim Chakari, a political and economic analyst, also weighed in: “Iran and Pakistan have consistently tried to play a dual role toward Afghanistan. On the one hand, they portray themselves as friendly toward the Islamic Emirate; on the other, they exert political pressure through issues like migrants, and simultaneously try to hinder Afghanistan’s economic development.”
Other experts view Afghanistan’s absence from such regional meetings as a sign of the country’s isolation within the region and emphasize that a solution must be found to end this political deadlock. They also express concern over the long-term consequences of Afghanistan’s isolation and its detachment from regional developments.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokespersons had not responded to Salaam Watandar’s inquiries regarding Afghanistan’s absence from the ECO meeting at the time of this report.
