Afghanistan’s National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib on Monday addressed the 74th session of the United Nations Assembly where he said that almost three million Afghans voted in the country’s presidential elections on September 28 despite the “threat of terrorism”.

“We all voted not just for a president, but we also voted for democracy. We voted for our Constitution. We voted for freedom and sovereignty. We voted for prosperity and connectivity. We voted for peace. We voted for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” Mohib said.

He also thanked the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces for protecting the process. “70,000 of our brave soldiers protected citizens during this historic vote. Because of their professionalism, most attacks—and all attacks that were intended to inflict mass casualties on civilians—were averted,” he added.

He said that Afghans are resolved in their commitment to democracy and peace but uncertainty lies with those who stand in the way of peace.

“To the Taliban and their foreign sponsors, hear this now, a message from the Afghan people: Join us in peace, or we will continue to fight. And, as my colleague Ambassador Adela Raz said last week here at the United Nations: ‘This is a fight we can win’,” he added.

He said Afghan-led initiatives such as the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process and the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, are already paying economic dividends, opening new frontiers for trade and the movement of goods, people, and ideas throughout South and Central Asia.

“Our mission now is to bring peace that can end the suffering of all Afghans. Only when we have peace will each and every Afghan be able to experience the freedoms and opportunities of this democracy we have sacrificed so much to build,” he concluded.