Afghanistan's absence from regional meetings casts the country's geopolitical position in a cloud of uncertainty

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: The 26th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is being held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, without a representative from Afghanistan, even as an observer member. This summit was held simultaneously with the 25th anniversary of the organization's founding, and for this reason, it has also been referred to in some news sources as the "25th annual summit."

 

This conference was held in very sensitive conditions and crises in the region and the world, but out of sight of Afghanistan. The main achievement of this meeting was the approval of the "Bishkek Declaration" and the signing of 28 economic, security and trade cooperation documents.

 

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan criticized the absence of the country's representative in this international conference and said that Afghanistan is an influential country in regional equations, especially in the security and economic sectors, and ignoring it will have negative consequences.

 

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said that Afghanistan's presence in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting is in the interest of the region and without this country's presence, the decisions of this meeting will not be complete.

 

In an interview with the media, Mujahid also said that important economic, security and political issues of the region will be discussed in this meeting and that Afghanistan is an important part of the region in these aspects. He emphasized that the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization must understand the importance of Afghanistan's presence in these meetings.

 

Afghanistan's geographical location is vital for the region.

 

Meanwhile, international affairs experts have also described Afghanistan's lack of presence in international conferences, especially regional meetings, as a tangible void in the relations of member states whose interests are tied to Afghanistan, and added that Afghanistan is also suffering from these absences in various political, security, and economic dimensions.

 

International relations expert Abbas Ershad said in an interview with Ava that "Afghanistan's lack of presence in important regional meetings such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is not simply a diplomatic absence; it can also affect the country's economic, security, and geopolitical interests."

 

According to him, "Afghanistan is the connecting link between Central and South Asia due to its geographical location, and issues such as transit, trade, energy, counterterrorism, drug trafficking, and border security are directly related to it. Therefore, the absence of an Afghan representative will result in the country’s views and interests being less prominent in regional negotiations and decision-making.”

 

He also pointed to the economic damage from this region and said: “From an economic perspective, absence from such meetings can reduce the opportunity to participate in regional transit, investment, energy, and trade projects. From a security perspective, Afghanistan may become merely a subject of discussion and concern for others instead of playing a role in formulating regional security solutions.”

 

However, according to Ershad, “merely attending meetings is not enough; attendance is effective when accompanied by active diplomacy, a specific program, and specialized teams. Therefore, it can be said that Afghanistan, in order to protect its national interests, must distance itself from isolation and strengthen its purposeful and active presence in regional and international organizations; "Because in international politics, not being at the negotiating table sometimes means giving up the opportunity to influence decisions that directly affect the future of the country."