Maldives has expressed concern over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.
The concerns were raised by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel, while speaking at the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers to discuss the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The meeting was convened at the request of Saudi Arabia and hosted by Pakistan, in its capital Islamabad.
In his remarks, State Minister Khaleel expressed concerns about the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and its implications for the people of Afghanistan and to the wider region. He highlighted that the Maldives is particularly concerned about the situation of Afghan women and girls, and stressed on the importance of protecting and promoting women’s rights. He also called on all parties to engage in dialogue in good faith and to actively participate in national reconciliation efforts to restore democracy and to reach a political settlement of differences through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process. Further, he appealed to the international community to engage in efforts that would bring peace, stability, and prosperity to the people of Afghanistan.
The OIC, comprising of 57 member states, is an international organisation formed to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world. The Maldives became a member of the OIC on July 26, 1976 and has since participated in all regular summits, extraordinary summits and the foreign ministers’ meetings.