Uzbekistan, Afghanistan discuss humanitarian assistance

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 30 November 2021, a delegation of Uzbekistan led by the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan Ismatulla Irgashev visited Kabul and met with members of the Interim Government of Afghanistan, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Talks were held with the leadership of the Cabinet of Ministers, in the Ministries of Foreign and Internal Affairs, Public Works, Economy and Energy. The current situation in the country, efforts to provide humanitarian and other assistance to the people of Afghanistan, the implementation of major infrastructure projects in the fields of energy and transport were discussed.

Members of the Interim Government of Afghanistan expressed sincere gratitude to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the active support of the Afghan people in this difficult time, for the possible assistance provided in the peaceful settlement of the country, the efforts of the new authorities to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan.

A high assessment was given to the measures taken by Uzbekistan for the uninterrupted supply of electricity, the functioning of Uzbekistan – Afghanistan border, assistance in restoring the activities of Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport, and timely provision of humanitarian assistance.

The readiness of the Afghan side to start implementing infrastructure projects initiated by Uzbekistan as soon as possible, such as the construction of Surkhan-Puli-Khumri power line and Mazar-i-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar railway, which will become a key link in the country's gradual involvement in the process of regional integration and connectivity, was confirmed.

The Afghan side assured the Uzbek side that even the slightest threat to Uzbekistan and other states of the region and the world as a whole will never come from the territory of the country.

The new Afghan government expressed its readiness to work together with Uzbekistan to improve the burial sites of the great ancestors of the peoples of both countries – A.Navoi (Herat), Z.Babur (Kabul), Abu Rayhan Beruni (Ghazni) and Bobo Mashrab (Takhar). The main attention will also be paid to learning the Uzbek language in schools and higher education institutions of the country.

Afghanistan's determination to continue to strictly follow the course of supporting fraternal and good-neighborly relations with Uzbekistan in the interests of the peoples of the two countries, in the name of ensuring regional security and stability was especially confirmed.