On 31 March, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted the third meeting of neighboring countries of Afghanistan in Tunxi, eastern China.

Several foreign ministers from the region were present, including Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

At the start of the meeting, China’s top diplomat said that Afghanistan “stands on the crossroads of history,” with the nation facing a severe humanitarian crisis and insufficient international recognition of its current predicament.

Conference participants said that NATO and the US must take primary responsibility for the reformation and economic reconstruction of Afghanistan after their participation in the two decades of war in Afghanistan.

“We believe that diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally as the concerns of all parties are addressed more forcefully,” Wang Yi also said.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that the problems within Afghanistan stem from the US occupation of the country and the misguided policies of the US.

The Iranian envoy went on to say that bilateral relations with Kabul can be implemented on the condition that the Taliban uphold the rights of women.

“The role of women in Afghanistan is very important to us … Islam recognizes the role of women in various fields as part of their inalienable rights,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

International concerns were raised when, in recent weeks, Taliban officials shut down high schools for girls across the country, and  banned women from boarding planes without a male companion.

Iran and China have maintained that official recognition for the interim government is dependent on their respect for the rights of minorities.

Despite this, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkey, Sedat Onal, announced that Ankara will provide Afghanistan with $5 million in humanitarian aid, saying that the stabilization of the country is a priority.

Since the Taliban victory against the US-backed Afghan army last August, Afghanistan has been mired in a humanitarian crisis as a result of a western economic blockade that has denied the country access to its foreign reserves.