Tajik President urges SCO, CSTO to work on initiating inter-Afghan dialogue

"We believe that the SCO and the CSTO states could use their full potential to initiate a broad inter-Afghan dialogue in order to set up a future platform for the country," Rahmon said during the joint SCO-CSTO summit in Dushanbe.

The Tajik leader noted that the interim government announced by the Taliban (terrorist organization, banned in Russia) did not meet expectations regarding inclusiveness.

"We see that the Taliban, contrary to their statements, are intent on creating an Islamic emirate, alien to the modern world order, and the government they have formed consists only of their members," the president said.

Rahmon also proposed the creation of "a security belt" around Afghanistan to prevent the potential expansion of terrorist groups and warned that the Taliban takeover in the country may lead to a long-term confrontation.

The Taliban entered Kabul on August 15 after months-long offensive on the Afghan government forces, spurred by the withdrawal of the foreign forces from the country.

On August 31, the US military left the Kabul airport, bringing an end to the nearly twenty-year American military presence in Afghanistan. On September 6, the Taliban stated that it had gained control of Panjshir, the last of 34 Afghan provinces not under their jurisdiction.

The next day, the Taliban announced the composition of the interim government of Afghanistan.

It is headed by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, who served as a foreign minister during the first Taliban rule. Akhund has been under UN sanctions since 2001.