Speaking at the international conference “International and regional cooperation in the field of border security and border control to combat terrorism and prevent the movement of terrorists” in Dushanbe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Vladimir Norov dwelled on the situation in Afghanistan, which is closely related to the prospects for the development of Central Asia.

The head of the Uzbek delegation briefed the conference participants on the initiatives of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the Afghan issue. In particular, attention was focused on the proposal of the head of state, voiced at the recent CICA summit in Astana, on the formation of a high-level international negotiating group to prepare and agree with the Afghan authorities an algorithm for the phased fulfillment of the obligations of the parties. It was noted that this mechanism could become an effective and efficient platform for determining clear mechanisms, terms and conditions for fulfilling obligations by the interim government of Afghanistan and the international community.

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

Emphasizing the importance of preventing the isolation of Afghanistan, Norov called on the international community to take effective measures to restore its economy, integrate the country into interregional economic processes, implement infrastructure and socially significant projects, with the support of the UN, international financial institutions and donors.

According to him, Uzbekistan is making a feasible contribution to international efforts to assist the neighboring state. An international multifunctional transport and logistics hub has been created in Termez, which is actively used by UN agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to the country.

The importance of implementing the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, put forward at the Samarkand SCO summit, to establish a special humanitarian support fund for Afghanistan in Termez, the funds of which will be directed to overcome the social crisis, implement educational programs for youth and projects in the field of healthcare, was noted.

According to the Uzbek FM, the implementation of transregional infrastructure projects, including the construction of the “Termez – Mazar-i-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar” railway, as well as the establishment of an interregional center for interconnectivity in Tashkent with the support of the UN, proposed by Uzbekistan, will contribute to the involvement of Afghanistan in regional trade-economic relations.