Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon met United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek on Monday, as concerns grow in Tajikistan over security along its border with Afghanistan.
According to the United Nations, Rahmon and Guterres discussed bilateral cooperation and regional developments, including the situation in Afghanistan. The UN did not provide further details about their discussion on Afghanistan.
Tajikistan has repeatedly raised concerns about security developments in Afghanistan and their potential impact on its southern border. In recent weeks, several incidents have added to those concerns, including armed clashes in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province and a border incident in which a woman in Tajikistan’s Darvoz district was killed by gunfire from the Afghanistan side, according to Tajik authorities.
The meeting also covered environmental issues. Guterres praised Tajikistan’s role in water-resource management and its efforts to protect glaciers, according to the UN.
Afghanistan security concerns at SCO summit
Security issues related to Afghanistan are also among the broader regional concerns being discussed at the SCO summit in Bishkek. Leaders of the organisation’s member states are expected to focus on counterterrorism, the threat posed by Islamic State and regional security cooperation.
The Afghan Taliban authorities are not represented at the summit. Afghanistan has held observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation since 2012. However, representatives of the Taliban authorities have not been invited to the organisation’s formal meetings since the group returned to power in August 2021.
The latest meeting between Rahmon and Guterres comes as Tajikistan continues to closely monitor developments along its border with Afghanistan, while regional governments seek greater cooperation on security and cross-border threats.
