Bakhtiyor Saidov, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister, criticized what he described as the global community’s inaction towards Afghanistan, speaking during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
According to Bakhtiyor Saidov, Afghanistan is an inseparable part of Central Asia, and Uzbekistan pursues a pragmatic policy towards Afghanistan. The Uzbekistan Foreign Minister stated that stability and sustainable development in the region are only possible if Afghanistan’s challenges are addressed.
Saidov said: “The key to ensuring stability and sustainable development in our region lies in addressing the Afghan problem. Afghanistan is an integral part of Central Asia. Unfortunately, the international community has been unable to implement measures capable of reversing the challenging situation in this country. Uzbekistan is pursuing a pragmatic policy towards Afghanistan.”
In another part of his speech, the Uzbekistan foreign minister said that his country is working to provide Afghanistan access to global ports by investing in the Trans-Afghan project and creating the Termez trade center.
Bakhtiyor Saidov said at the UN General Assembly: “We are implementing an ambitious project to build the Trans-Afghan railway, which will provide access to global ports and have a positive effect on the economic development of our west region. We will continue to contribute to Afghanistan’s economic reconstruction in the development of its transportation and energy infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, the President of Iran, in a meeting with the President of Tajikistan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, emphasized greater coordination and cooperation between Tehran and Dushanbe regarding the Afghan issue.
“Just as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, or Iran have made positive statements about Afghanistan’s policy, they want Afghanistan to come out of political isolation,” said Shams Rahman Ahmadi, a political analyst.
Uzbekistan is one of the countries that maintains good economic and political relations with the Islamic Emirate, and recently, the ambassador of the Islamic Emirate officially began his duties in Tashkent.