Afghanistan "is at a crucial turning-point", Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said on Thursday, calling for involvement of the war-wracked country's youth and the United Nations in stalled peace talks.
"Afghanistan is at a crucial turning-point in its history," Di Maio told Italy's Senate upper house of parliament.
The minister was answering questions from Senator and former defence minister Roberta Pinotti on human rights in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of all foreign troops by 11 September.
"There is a new generation of citizens whose voices should be listened to and whose role should be safeguarded," Di Maio stated.
"This also applies to the peace talks aimed at stabilising the country and upholding human rights including those of minorities and of women," he added.
The United Nations "should play a prominent role" in the peace process, Di Maio said.
His comments came after a Washington-backed Afghan peace conference due to talk place in Turkey on 24 April was been postponed due to the Taliban's non-participation.
The US had hoped the Istanbul conference could inject fresh momentum into peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government negotiators that began last year in the Qatari capital of Doha but made slow progress amid escalating violence in Afghanistan.
