On April 13, a regular Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan’s Neighbouring States under the chairmanship of Uzbekistan brought together the ministers of foreign affairs from Uzbekistan, Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation in Samarkand, the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan reported.
Acting Foreign Minister of Interim Government of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi and a delegation of the Taliban (banned in Russia) attended the meeting.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov emphasised that the closest neighbours of Afghanistan are seeking to build a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan and revive its economy. Assistance to Afghanistan should not be limited to humanitarian aid; joint efforts are needed to implement economic and infrastructure projects on its territory.
The participants discussed the current situation in Afghanistan, including the fulfilment by the Afghan authorities of the main requirements of the world community regarding the respect for the rights of women to education and work, as well as the respect for the rights of national minorities.
An exchange of views on joint efforts to combat international terrorism and illicit drug trafficking and harness the potential of Afghanistan as a link between Central and South Asia took place.
