Uzbek President Mirziyoyev urges world ‘not to isolate Afghanistan’

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has emphasized the need for continued engagement and dialogue with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), and for the international community not to forget about Afghanistan.

Speaking at the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Tashkent, Mirziyoyev said: “We should not forget our neighbor [Afghanistan]. In our view, preventing the isolation of this country, establishing constructive relations with the current authorities, and viewing

Afghanistan, as part of the Central Asian region with untapped potential, is of particular importance.”

Mirziyoyev also emphasized the need for the acceleration of the implementation of the Trans-Afghan Railway project, from Termez to Peshawar via Afghanistan, during a meeting with the Pakistan Senate’s Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani.

The Uzbek presidential office announced that the meeting focused on key issues, including speeding up trade, investment, and transportation projects, developing the Afghan Transit Corridor, and strengthening regional cooperation and humanitarian exchanges.

In the meantime, the Islamic Emirate has welcomed the remarks made by the President of Uzbekistan.

The IEA’s deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said: “I praise the positive statements and position of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Uzbekistan, regarding Afghanistan. Recently, political, economic, trade, transit, and investment relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have improved. The Islamic Emirate seeks to expand its relations with neighboring countries, the region, and other countries around the world.”

In February 2021, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan signed a roadmap for the construction of the Trans-Afghan Railway project, which once complete will be a significant step towards regional connectivity and the utilization of Afghanistan’s economic potential.