OSCE Parliamentary Assembly meeting discusses Afghan situation

The participants of the meeting discussed the current state of affairs in Afghanistan and related possible threats to regional security in the countries of Central Asia.

While sharing the views, Askar Shakirov, Deputy Chairman of the OSCE PA, Deputy Speaker of the Senate of Parliament of Kazakhstan, called on his colleagues to develop measures within the current mandate of the Assembly to restore the confidence of the Afghan people, lost because of the withdrawal of the international coalition forces from the country.

In the context of the mass outflow of refugees from Afghanistan, the general concern of the Central Asian countries was expressed about the possible infiltration of representatives of radical movements associated with the destabilization of the situation in the region.

Shakirov informed the participants about Kazakhstan's participation in stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, noting that according to the decision of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a temporary remote office of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has been relocated to Almaty, with the employees provided with appropriate working and living conditions.

Following the meeting, the parliamentarians made proposals on the need for constant monitoring of the situation in Afghanistan in the context of its impact on security in the OSCE region and the inclusion of the issue in the agenda of future Parliamentary Assembly events.