Afghanistan Among Top Security Issues For CSTO, Says Russian FM

Saeed Khosti, head of the Department for the Registration of Jihadi Works and Documents at the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, said the “social media battlefield” could not be abandoned. “If we leave this field empty, the enemy’s narrative will grow stronger and the Taliban will be defeated,” he said.

Khosti, who previously headed the propaganda wing of the Haqqani network, was appointed earlier this week to the ministry post. Speaking to online supporters of the Taliban, he said users often first encounter content from media outlets opposed to the group when they log on to social media.

According to him, such messages are repeated frequently throughout the day and influence young people and the broader public.

As an example, he cited criticism of the Taliban’s recently published penal code, saying opponents portray it as lacking justice or equality. He said repeated exposure to such content shapes public perceptions.

Khosti argued that remaining silent would strengthen what he described as the enemy’s narrative and said the Taliban should take the initiative in the media sphere rather than remain defensive.

He also said media outlets opposed to the Taliban exaggerate minor stories to undermine the group’s messaging and described social media as a “live battlefield” requiring sustained attention similar to a military front.

Khosti has previously served as a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Interior Ministry and later as an adviser at the Ministry of Information and Culture.

He has also faced accusations of sexually assaulting a female university student, allegations that have circulated publicly but have not been addressed in detail by Taliban authorities.

In a statement posted on its X account Monday, the ministry said the new faculty aims to strengthen scientific, educational and research activities in the field of Prophetic traditional medicine.

The ministry said the faculty would “play an important role in the development of medical sciences, the enhancement of professional capacity and the expansion of health services” in Afghanistan.

Prophetic medicine, sometimes referred to as Islamic medicine, is a body of traditional medical practices used by some Muslim communities over centuries, often as an alternative to classical Greek-influenced medical systems.

Based on traditions and recommendations attributed to the Prophet of Islam, the approach seeks to treat illnesses and preserve health.

Sharafat Zaman Amarkhel said the campaign will run until Thursday, February 5, and aims to vaccinate 7.3 million children under the age of five.

The drive is being carried out in Kabul, Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Nuristan, Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Ghazni, Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Zabul, Balkh, Faryab, Kunduz, Herat and Badghis.

The World Health Organization said in a report published in November 2025 that despite a decline in polio cases in Afghanistan, the risk of virus transmission remains high in southern areas bordering Pakistan.

According to official reports, nine positive polio cases were recorded in Afghanistan in 2025.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where polio cases are still being reported.

In an interview with Russia’s state news agency TASS, Gul Hassan expressed hope that a Taliban representative would be invited to future meetings of the SCO.

Asked whether the Taliban administration sees cooperation with the organisation as possible, he said Afghanistan holds observer status and, in line with that, should attend its meetings.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, founded in 2001, is a regional political and security bloc. Its full members include Russia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Iran and Uzbekistan. Belarus joined the organisation in July 2024.

Afghanistan and Mongolia are observer states. Dialogue partners include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Sri Lanka.

Unlike the Taliban authorities, Mongolia’s representatives have attended SCO meetings in recent years.

Despite diplomatic engagement with Moscow, the Taliban were not invited to the 24th meeting of the SCO Council of Prime Ministers, held in Moscow in November 2025.

The Taliban’s foreign ministry said in April 2025 that China had invited representatives of the group to SCO meetings. However, a Taliban representative was not invited to the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting held in China in July 2025.

Following the absence of invitations, Gul Hassan met in November 2025 with Bakhtiyor Khakimov, Russia’s presidential special representative for SCO affairs, and asked that Afghanistan’s observer status be taken into account.

Russia maintains relations with the Taliban authorities, though the administration has not been widely recognised internationally.

Gul Hassan told Russia’s state news agency TASS that, in addition to weekly flights operated by Ariana Afghan Airlines, direct Kabul–Moscow services by Kam Air are set to be launched in the near future.

He said Ariana Afghan Airlines has operated one direct flight per week between Afghanistan and Russia over the past four years and that preparations are under way to begin Kam Air flights on the Kabul–Moscow route.

Gul Hassan added that efforts are under way to boost reciprocal travel by citizens of the two countries, which he said would lead to an increase in flight frequency.

He arrived in Moscow in July 2025 and began his mission as the Taliban’s ambassador to Russia.

Russia has maintained diplomatic engagement with the Taliban authorities, though their administration has not been widely recognised internationally.