Quad urges Afghan Taliban to defeat all terrorist groups

NEW YORK:

A ministerial meeting of the Quadrilateral Group - Pakistan, China, Iran and Russia - held on the margins of the 79th UN General Assembly session, called on the Taliban to stop terrorist outfits from using Afghanistan's territory against its neighbours, the region and beyond.

A press release issued in New York on Saturday said that the meeting– the third at a ministerial level - discussed the situation in Afghanistan and efforts for the promotion of peace, security and stability in that country.

Pakistan was represented at the meeting by Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif.

The press release said that the participants of the meeting "expressed concern over the security challenges emanating from the territory of Afghanistan, particularly the terrorism threat and called on the Afghan interim government to fight terrorism and eliminate all terrorist groups and prevent Afghan territory from being used against its neighbours, the region and beyond."

In this regard, the meeting also emphasized the importance of engagement with Afghanistan and to continue close coordination between the four countries to strengthen regional efforts for the normalization of situation in Afghanistan and addressing its various challenges in a comprehensive manner.