Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – On 27 January 2021, in the Chatham House format, the 8th regular online conference on the topic “Building a Peaceful Afghanistan: Regional and International Support for the Peace Process in Afghanistan” was held.

The event was part of a series of expert dialogues on Afghanistan. Since their inception in May 2020, such meetings have brought together prominent foreign experts, politicians, scientists, diplomats, representatives of international organizations. The main goal is a constructive dialogue and the development of concrete proposals and practical recommendations in promoting the peace process in Afghanistan.

More than 40 experts from leading think tanks from 14 countries took part in the virtual dialogue organized by the leading Afghan think tank, the Heart of Asia Society, together with such authoritative analytical structures as the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies of Qatar and the Center for International Cooperation of New York University. , including Central and South Asia, Russia, USA, EU, China, Japan and Turkey, as well as representatives of international organizations, diplomats and scientists.

A thorough exchange of views took place on the current state and prospects of the peace process in Afghanistan, including in the context of the implementation of the US-Taliban peace treaty, as well as the role of the new US administration regarding regional and international consensus on the Afghan agenda.

Speaking at the forum, Akramjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, noted the need to ensure the continuity and progress of the peace process.

According to him, the negotiations will not be easy, but there is no other alternative, the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan is possible exclusively through political dialogue and the implementation of an inclusive peace process.

The ISMI expert stressed that one of the important factors for stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan is the restoration of the country's peaceful economy, which will form the socio-economic base of the peaceful political process.

In this regard, according to A. Nematov, the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to establish the UN Committee on Afghanistan serves as an important platform where international and regional states could mobilize their efforts to implement infrastructure projects aimed at the socio-economic development of Afghanistan. 

At the same time, the development of economic connectivity between the regions of Central and South Asia will also make an important contribution to the establishment of peace in Afghanistan and the strengthening of regional consensus. To this end, Uzbekistan is promoting the implementation of important projects of transport corridors through the territory of Afghanistan, designed to ensure the access of the countries of the vast Eurasian region to the ports of the Indian Ocean. The practical implementation of such projects will help to restore the peaceful economy of Afghanistan, as well as provide an economic alternative for people tired of years of war.

In this context, A. Nematov drew the attention of the participants to the fact that in May this year Tashkent plans to organize an international high-level conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Interconnectedness. Challenges and Opportunities”, in which the participation of government officials, scientists and experts from more than 30 countries is planned. This forum will contribute to strengthening regional economic ties between Central and South Asia and the development of new ideas and initiatives for a peaceful settlement of the Afghan conflict.

Participants of the online event noted the key role of Uzbekistan in solving the Afghan problem, showed interest in the conference and expressed their readiness to take part in it.

According to experts, the aforementioned conference will not only strengthen economic ties between Central and South Asia, but will also become an important step in an early solution to the Afghan problem.

The Heart of Asia Society (OCA) was founded in 2019 by former Afghan diplomats as an independent think tank for the study, analysis and development of practical proposals to strengthen Afghanistan's multilateral cooperation with the countries of the Heart of Asia region.

To this end, the Center develops various research programs and facilitates the participation of stakeholders. In addition, the OCA promotes the establishment of academic contacts between experts on the Afghan issue. In its research, the Center gives priority attention to finding and maintaining regional consensus on the peace process in Afghanistan.