Uzbekistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, held talks with Norway’s newly appointed ambassador, Helene Sand Andresen, focusing on efforts to sustain dialogue on Afghanistan’s future, officials said.

According to Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry, the meeting centred on the current state of bilateral cooperation related to Afghanistan and underscored a shared commitment to maintaining regular engagement on the Afghan settlement process.

Andresen praised Uzbekistan’s role in promoting a coordinated regional approach to Afghanistan, highlighting Tashkent’s efforts to build consensus among neighbouring countries.

The two sides also exchanged views on Afghanistan’s economic recovery and discussed prospects for integrating the country into broader regional connectivity initiatives.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Kabul, Faisal bin Talq Al-Baqmi, discussed regional developments and recent talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan held in the Chinese city of Urumqi during a meeting on Wednesday.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi briefed the Saudi ambassador on the recent negotiations with the Pakistani side in Urumqi and expressed hope that interpretative differences and minor technical issues would not hinder the progress of the negotiation process.

He described relations between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia as positive and voiced hope that ties between the two brotherly countries would further expand in the political, security, and economic fields.

The Saudi ambassador also said that political and security stability, as well as economic development in Afghanistan, are of great importance to his country, adding that Riyadh supports Afghanistan in these areas.

The United Nations said it continued delivering critical support to millions of Afghans in 2025 despite declining global assistance, with funding for basic human needs rising for a third consecutive year.

According to the UN’s Afghanistan results report, funding under the Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023–2027 reached $1.7 billion last year, supporting essential services, livelihoods and recovery efforts across the country.

“Millions of Afghans were reached with essential services, economic opportunities, and livelihoods support,” said Indrika Ratwatte, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

The UN said more than 34 million people received healthcare services, while over 4.6 million children were enrolled in public education with UN assistance. Around 45,000 long-term jobs were also created, with women accounting for more than half of those positions.

Despite these gains, Afghanistan continued to face significant challenges in 2025, including reduced humanitarian funding, large-scale population movements, and the impact of climate pressures and natural disasters. These factors placed increasing strain on households, markets and essential services.

The UN noted that Afghan communities demonstrated resilience, working alongside national and international partners to meet urgent needs while laying the groundwork for longer-term stability.

Coordination efforts remained key, with platforms such as the High-Level Coordination Forum enabling dialogue between international stakeholders and the country’s de facto authorities. The Afghanistan Coordination Group also played a central role in aligning donor funding with priority needs.

Looking ahead, the UN said sustained cooperation between national, regional and international partners would be critical to addressing ongoing challenges and supporting a more resilient future for Afghanistan.