The Afghan capital, Kabul, hosted a regional meeting that brought together Afghanistan, the Central Asian states, and Azerbaijan, during which participants discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation in the fields of security, the economy, transit, investment, and regional connectivity.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate, called for strengthening scientific and research cooperation among the countries of the region, stressing the role of think tanks in expanding regional cooperation. He made the remarks during the first meeting of strategic studies centers and think tanks of Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Azerbaijan.
Muttaqi said those gathered had come together not merely as representatives of their countries, but as thinkers and intellectual leaders belonging to a shared geography, with the aim of elevating relations among the region’s countries—particularly relations between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Central Asian states—from the current level of interaction and cooperation to a stage of deep and sustainable integration.
The minister explained that the successful holding of the first round of the consultative dialogue between Afghanistan and Central Asia had created a favorable political environment for expanding cooperation, but he stressed the need for a specialized, research-oriented mechanism to translate political agreements into practical proposals and implementable plans.
In another part of his address, Muttaqi identified a number of key issues requiring close cooperation among the region’s research institutions, including security concerns and regional tensions, climate change and environmental challenges, economic and transit opportunities, as well as the need to develop narratives originating from the region itself.
He added: “The ongoing wars and conflicts in our shared regional surroundings have caused major disruptions to economic supply chains, to mobility, and to food and energy security. In such circumstances, research and study centers are not merely academic institutions; they can serve as an intellectual partner and a driver of regional diplomacy by offering scientific and practical solutions for managing these challenges and advancing regional integration.”
For his part, the director of the International Institute for Central Asia in Uzbekistan affirmed that the Kabul meeting was not merely a gathering of experts, but a step toward establishing a sustainable framework for cooperation among think tanks in Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Azerbaijan.
Javlon Vakhabov, director of the International Institute for Central Asia, said in remarks to Tolo News: “We have gathered here to put forward a set of policy recommendations and practical proposals that could be highly beneficial under current circumstances, particularly as we witness unprecedented cooperation and closer relations among the Central Asian states, including Afghanistan.”
The meeting was hosted by the Center for Strategic Studies of the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Afghanistan, with the attendance of representatives from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan. Participants discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation in the fields of security, the economy, transit, investment, and regional connectivity.
اشترك لتصلك أبرز التغطيات والقصص الحصرية من فريق الأسطل مباشرةً إلى بريدك.
