During his speech, the Foreign Minister stressed that prospects for the development of Central Asia are inextricably linked with ensuring peace in neighboring Afghanistan. 

“We are concerned about the decline in international attention to this country, which is experiencing a deep humanitarian crisis. We consider it extremely important to prevent the isolation of Afghanistan, leaving it alone with the existing problems. This will undoubtedly have negative consequences for regional and international security,” he said. 

The international conference on Afghanistan held in July in Tashkent with the participation of delegation of the interim government of the country showed the interest of the world community in developing coordinated approaches towards this country. 

“We are convinced that the general priority of the international community should be the restoration of the Afghan economy, its integration into interregional economic processes, the implementation of infrastructure and socially significant projects. To solve these problems, the support of the UN, international financial institutions and donor countries is needed,” Norov noted. 

The Foreign Minister recalled that Uzbekistan is making a feasible contribution to international efforts to assist Afghanistan. An international transport and logistics hub has been created in the border city of Termez, which is actively used by UN agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to this country. 

“We propose to establish a special fund for the humanitarian support of Afghanistan in Termez, the funds of which will be used to overcome the social crisis, implement educational programs for youth and projects in the field of healthcare. In July this year, at the initiative of Uzbekistan, the resolution of the General Assembly “On strengthening the interconnectedness between Central and South Asia” gives priority to the involvement of Afghanistan in economic cooperation, its transformation into a bridge connecting the two regions,” the minister said. 

In his opinion, the implementation of trans-regional infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the “Termez - Mazar-i-Sharif - Kabul - Peshawar” railway, will contribute to the practical implementation of these ideas.  

“The proposed establishment by Uzbekistan with the support of the UN of an interregional center for interconnectedness in the city of Tashkent will also contribute to the solution of the problems of involving Afghanistan in regional trade-economic ties,” Norov concluded.