UK Calls On China, Russia To Agree On International Approach To Prevent Afghanistan From Becoming A Terrorist Hotbed

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. (Wikimedia Commons/Policy Exchange)

JAKARTA - Britain will call on China and Russia to agree on a coordinated international approach to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a terrorist haven, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said at the United Nations on Wednesday.

Foreign ministers from Britain, China, Russia, the United States, and France will meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the UN General Assembly in New York, USA.

Britain, which is currently coordinating the so-called P5 group of permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, will use the meeting to call for greater cooperation, to enhance international security with a particular focus on Afghanistan.

The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US, British, and NATO troops last month has raised fears the country could once again be used as a training ground for Islamist militants.

"If we are to avoid Afghanistan becoming a haven for global terror, then the international community, including Russia and China, needs to act as a unit in its engagement with the Taliban," Truss said in a statement ahead of the meeting.

The Taliban have promised they will not let Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden planned the September 11, 2001 attacks, when they were last in power, again become a safe haven for groups planning to attack the West.

Last week at a meeting of the security bloc led by China and Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping said relevant parties in Afghanistan must eradicate terrorism and China would provide more assistance to the country according to its capacity.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin used a speech at the same summit to say Russia needs to work with the Taliban government, and world powers should consider cashing in on Afghan assets.

Last Friday, President Putin also mentioned the need for this cooperation at a meeting of the security bloc led by China and Russia, namely the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Speaking by video link at a conference held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, president Putin said Russia supports the UN conference on Afghanistan and world powers should consider disbursing Afghan assets.