Ashraf GhaniVarmennettu tili

Great to be back in Bishkek for the SCO summit and would like to thank President Jeenbekov and the people of Kyrgyzstan for their exceptional hospitality.

As a free, fair, inclusive and transparent election is the test of a constitutional order, we invite international observers to monitor the process.

Our mandate for seeking peace with the Taliban comes from the 23-point resolution of the recent Consultative Loya Jirga, whose 3,200 elected members represented the men and women of Afghanistan.

To demonstrate self-reliance, we have increased the revenue by 90%. We are also rationalizing expenditure, expecting savings on the security expenditure, and through passing of over 400 laws & regulations created a solid legal foundation for the development of our natural wealth.

Meanwhile, compared to five years ago, the building blocs of securing Afghanistan’s future as a stable and self-reliant country in the heart of Asia are also falling into place.

However, narcotics, terrorism, and war continue to threaten both Afghan stability and the security of CSO members and observers. Our security forces continue to eliminate drug labs, inflicting millions of dollars on the drug dealers.

But the production has gone beyond opium and heroin to methamphetamine. Every parent in the region and the world should be concerned and every government should cooperate and act against this dangerous development.

While there is consensus on the threat of terrorism, sufficient consensus on a regional approach to our collective security and wellbeing is in need of building. Required is an understanding of the drivers and supporting systems to deal with the threat.