On March 26, regular meeting of ministers of foreign affairs of the countries of the “European Union – Central Asia” format was held within the framework of Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan “Peace process, security cooperation and regional collaboration”.
During the meeting, ministers of foreign affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Kairat Abdrakhmanov, the Kyrgyz Republic – Erlan Abdyldaev, the Republic of Tajikistan – Sirojiddin Aslov, the Republic of Uzbekistan – Abdulaziz Kamilov, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Vepa Hadjiyev and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini discussed current issues of interregional interaction.
Afghanistan as a Eurasian country with unique strategic cross-border capabilities is an integral part of Central Asia. People of the region are connected by common history, religion, culture and customs. Peaceful Afghanistan opens for Central Asian countries the possibility of the shortest access to the ports of the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, and for India, Iran and Pakistan – to the countries of Europe and other regions. Therefore, stability and sustainable development not only in Central Asia, but also around it are closely interrelated with establishment of peace and tranquility in Afghanistan.
As noted by international think tanks, Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan will open a broad path for consolidation of regional and international efforts on ensuring peace and stability in this country, which will become a practical result of Uzbekistan’s new foreign policy strategy.
The international conference “Peace process, security cooperation and regional collaboration”, organized on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, will become an important contribution to the efforts of the world community on ensuring peaceful development of Afghanistan. Unlike other similar conferences, this forum promises to be saturated with concrete proposals on settlement of the Afghan problem. Representatives of 25 countries and international organizations arrived in Tashkent to participate at the conference.
In particular, the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, as well as the heads of ministries of foreign affairs of China, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the USA arrived to the international forum. About 300 mass media have been accredited to cover the conference. The event is widely covered by leading TV channels, news agencies and publications of China, Japan, Russia, the UK, the USA, and Central Asian countries.
Practical aspects of holding the conference were discussed at the meeting of foreign ministers of the countries of “European Union – Central Asia” format, in Hyatt Regency Tashkent Hotel.
Foreign ministers of the Central Asian countries welcomed the intention of the European side to develop and adopt an updated EU Strategy for Central Asian region, in 2019, as well as expressed readiness of their countries to take an active part in this process.
Prospects of economic development of the region, interregional cooperation in trade and economic, investment and technological, scientific and educational spheres were also discussed during the meeting.
Special attention was paid to issues of stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan and its socio-economic development. In particular, views were exchanged on the European Union’s support for the efforts of the Central Asian countries on ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan, its involvement in regional economic and infrastructural ties.
At the same time, it was noted that the final declaration of the forthcoming high-level international conference on Afghanistan, scheduled for March 27, would be a breakthrough step towards the solution of the global problem that is worrying the entire international community.
It was decided to hold the next meeting of ministers of foreign affairs in the second half of this year, in Brussels.
