KATHMANDU, August 24: Five former Nepali ambassadors have urged the Government of Nepal (GoN) to immediately take initiatives in its capacity as the current chair of the SAARC to start a dialogue with relevant countries in the region to address the emerging challenges due to the Afghanistan situation.

Issuing a joint statement on the Afghanistan situation on Tuesday, the former envoys said that the political advancement of Taliban in Afghanistan is indeed a subject of concern to all SAARC member countries. "The unfolding situation there will have a far-reaching consequence on the region’s socio-economic, migration and security realms," they said in the statement.

The former envoys have said that although Taliban has declared amnesty across Afghanistan, called women to resume work, school and join the government and are working for a negotiated settlement with other groups for the governance of the country, their appeal to the international community for recognition has met with scepticism because of their past records when they were in power and their present unacceptable behaviour toward people who want to leave Afghanistan. 

"At this critical juncture, Nepal, as the chair of the SAARC, has a momentous role for stability in the region. We urge the government of Nepal to immediately take necessary initiatives to start a dialogue with relevant countries in the region in order to address the emerging challenges," they have said.

Those issuing the statement are former ambassador to Russia, Hiranyalal Shrestha, former ambassador to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyay, former ambassador to India Durgesh Man Singh, former ambassador to the USA and the UK, Suresh Chalise, and former ambassador to China, Dr Mahesh Maskey.

 
• Afghanistan
 
• Taliban
 
• Ex-envoys