Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – On 12 February 2021, a meeting was held between the Director of the Institute of Strategic and Regional Studies (ISMI), Eldor Aripov, with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to our country, Ahmad Kholid Elmiy. The parties discussed the current state and prospects of Uzbek-Afghan interaction, as well as issues of developing trans-regional cooperation between Central and South Asia.

Welcoming the guest, E. Aripov stressed that expanding long-term and multifaceted cooperation with Afghanistan and promoting peace in the neighboring country is one of the most important priorities of the foreign policy of the President of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev. The sincere interest of Uzbekistan in peace on Afghan soil, in the economic prosperity of Afghanistan was noted.

According to the director of ISMI, the launched inter-Afghan dialogue is a unique opportunity to put an end to the long-term war in Afghanistan, to return the neighboring country to the tracks of peaceful and sustainable development. The early stabilization of Afghanistan opens up new strategic prospects for the further development of transregional cooperation and will lead to the restoration of the country's historical role as a natural connecting bridge between the regions of Central and South Asia.

E. Aripov separately dwelled on the goals and objectives of the planned to be held in May this year. in Tashkent on the initiative of the President Sh. Mirziyoyev of the International conference “Central and South Asia: regional interconnection. Challenges and Opportunities”. It is indicated that this forum, on the one hand, will contribute to the development of new ideas in order to restore trans-regional ties, on the other hand, the formation of a broad international consensus to establish peace in Afghanistan.

In turn, the Ambassador of Afghanistan to Uzbekistan Ahmad Kholid Elmiy noted that the Uzbek and Afghan peoples are linked by the primordial bonds of friendship and brotherhood. Over the past years, these relations have risen to a high level, and Afghanistan in its foreign policy has identified strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation with Uzbekistan as a priority.

According to the Afghan diplomat, the agreements reached by the leaders of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev and Afghanistan A. Ghani during their summit meetings gave a powerful impetus to the further development and expansion of mutually beneficial economic partnership. It is these factors that today create a favorable opportunity to continue a friendly dialogue on all issues of the bilateral agenda.

Ahmad Kholid Elmiy also focused on the efforts of Uzbekistan for the socio-economic reconstruction of Afghanistan. In his opinion, the implementation of such infrastructure projects as the Surkhon-Puli-Khumri power transmission line and the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway branch demonstrates the noble intentions and sincerity of Uzbekistan's friendly attitude to Afghanistan.

Fully supporting the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan to hold an international conference on interconnection, the Ambassador of Afghanistan expressed confidence that it would make a significant contribution to strengthening interregional partnership. At the same time, the Afghan diplomat expressed his readiness to assist in attracting leading experts from Afghanistan to participate in the conference.

At the end of the meeting, mutual interest was unanimously expressed in continuing the expert dialogue and exchange of views in order to develop new ideas and proposals for further strengthening relations between the countries on a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation.