Muhammad Murad
Afghanistan is often referred to as the “Heart of Asia” because of its strategic location at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. This position has historically linked various civilizations and regions. Additionally, Afghanistan is connected to China via the narrow Wakhan Corridor. When Afghanistan experiences security challenges, these issues can have repercussions for its neighboring countries. Therefore, it is essential for these countries to collaborate in addressing these challenges or, at the very least, to mitigate their impact on their internal security.
China and Uzbekistan recently held discussions in Tashkent regarding the current situation in Afghanistan, focusing on international efforts to address the ongoing challenges under the Taliban regime. The discussions between Yue Xiaoyong, China’s special envoy for Afghanistan, and his Uzbek counterpart, Ismatulla Irgashev, also concerned upcoming high-level events regarding Afghanistan.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the special envoys from both countries met to not only analyze the latest developments in Afghanistan but also to emphasize the importance of practical cooperation between Tashkent and Beijing concerning the situation in Afghanistan. The ministry stated, “The sides discussed the state of regional and international efforts to resolve the situation in Afghanistan and upcoming high-level events related to Afghanistan. The meeting was held in a constructive spirit and confirmed the mutual interest in further developing practical dialogue between Tashkent and Beijing.”
Neither China nor Uzbekistan formally recognizes the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, but both have maintained political as well as economic contacts with the de facto regime.
Before the bilateral meeting between China and Uzbekistan on Afghanistan last week, on August 26, Uzbekistan hosted a historic first meeting of the special representatives from the Central Asian republics on the situation in Afghanistan. It was an initiative of Uzbekistan in which representatives from other Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan – also participated. As per Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting was held in order to develop regional cooperation and exchange viewpoints on crucial issues concerning Afghanistan. All participating countries jointly noted that it was of utmost importance to develop an effective approach to the Afghanistan issue, as the country is geographically close to them and they have cultural, historical, as well as economic ties with Afghanistan. The representatives also showed their commitment to developing a realistic and balanced approach to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.
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