Afghanistan Hosts First Think Tank Forum With Central Asia, Azerbaijan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The first Forum of Think Tanks of Afghanistan, Central Asian Countries, and Azerbaijan was held in Kabul on 16 June, organised by the Centre for Strategic Studies of Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The event brought together representatives of academic communities, research institutes, and think tanks from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Afghanistan.

Discussions centred on trade and economic cooperation, the development of transport and transit connectivity, investment cooperation, climate challenges, regional security, and the strengthening of expert support for inter-state dialogue.

Opening the forum, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi presented Kabul's vision for the future of regional engagement. In his assessment, the current international order is passing through a sensitive historical moment in which, alongside contradictions and competing approaches, states are increasingly drawn toward collective cooperation and multilateral engagement.

Against this backdrop, Afghanistan's relations with the countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan had, in the Foreign Minister's words, "strengthened and expanded more than ever before" through a pragmatic approach focused on opportunity and mutual benefit.

"Today we have gathered here not merely as representatives of our countries, but as thinkers and intellectual stewards of a shared geographic space," Muttaqi said. He described Central Asia as a key partner for Afghanistan and expressed interest in further expanding cooperation across all areas.

"We must develop a practical and comprehensive roadmap for our future partnership across various spheres," the minister said.

His remarks conveyed a clear openness on Kabul's part to closer engagement with regional countries and a readiness to act as a responsible participant in regional processes. Muttaqi noted that the successful holding of the first Afghanistan–Central Asia Consultative Dialogue had created an important political foundation for further rapprochement, and that the next step could be the establishment of sustainable expert mechanisms capable of translating political agreements into concrete projects and decisions.

Economic connectivity featured prominently in his address. The Afghan foreign minister described Afghanistan as "a natural connecting bridge between Central and South Asia" and reaffirmed Kabul's interest in advancing the CASA-1000 project, the TAPI gas pipeline, the TAP project, the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, and the Trans-Afghan Railway.

He stressed that research centres could play an important role in demonstrating the economic benefits of these initiatives and building mutual trust among countries of the region.

The minister also addressed shared challenges. He noted that climate change, water scarcity, environmental degradation, and the consequences of conflict affect economies, transport links, and food and energy security. "These threats do not respect political borders," Muttaqi said, calling for collective responses grounded in scientific analysis and expert assessment.

A significant element of his address was the idea of building a distinct regional agenda. In his view, the countries of the region possess sufficient intellectual, economic, and political capacity to define their own development priorities. "Our opportunities, our challenges, and our common future require our own, internal vision," he said, pointing to the capacity of researchers from Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Azerbaijan to independently shape expert assessments of regional processes and propose solutions that serve the interests of the region's states.

"Today more than ever, it is important that researchers from our region themselves speak about its realities, opportunities, and challenges," the minister said, calling for expanded knowledge exchange, joint research, and sustained expert dialogue.

Muttaqi expressed confidence that analytical bodies could become a significant instrument of regional diplomacy.

"Research centres are not only academic institutions — they can serve as intellectual partners and a driving force of regional diplomacy," he said. In this connection, he proposed the creation of a sustainable cooperation network among the region's research institutions, the development of joint research programmes, and the regular exchange of expert assessments.

Concluding his remarks, the Afghan foreign minister said Afghanistan links the region's future to stronger engagement, mutual trust, and regional connectivity.

"A stable, prosperous, and secure future for all countries of the region can be achieved only through cooperation, mutual trust, regional connectivity, and an understanding of collective interests," he said.

He also emphasised that "researchers and thinkers from Afghanistan are extending a hand of academic partnership to researchers from other countries," reaffirming Kabul's readiness for long-term and mutually beneficial ties with the countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan.

The forum follows an earlier international Termez Dialogue on connectivity between Central and South Asia, held in Tashkent, which also brought together representatives of expert communities, think tanks, and government bodies from across the region.

On the sidelines of that event, a separate meeting of experts from Central Asia and Afghanistan took place, at which participants discussed prospects for expanding regional cooperation, transport and transit connectivity, security, and economic partnership.

Among other topics, participants addressed the agenda for the upcoming Think Tank Forum in Kabul, which was seen as an important step toward institutionalising expert dialogue among Afghanistan, the Central Asian countries, and Azerbaijan.