Uzbekistan to hold international conference on Afghanistan

Tashkent [Uzbekistan], July 25 : Uzbekistan will be holding an international conference on Afghanistan on July 25th and 26th which will be attended by the representatives of 20 world countries including Iran, India and Pakistan.
A delegation of the Taliban led by the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, left Kabul for Tashkent to attend the international conference, reported Tolo News.
"Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his accompanying delegation travelled to Uzbekistan and will participate in the Tashkent summit about Afghanistan's situation," said Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
The meeting is of significance as it is going to be almost one year since Afghanistan fell to Taliban 2.0 on August 15, 2021, and countries will be discussing the security situation as well as the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
"The main goal of the event is to develop a set of measures and proposals for the approaches of the world community to promote stability, security, post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan and its integration into regional cooperation processes in the interests of the multinational Afghan people and the whole world," said a statement of the Uzbekistan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Uzbekistan officials stressed that the presence of the Taliban delegation in the conference doesn't reflect the recognition of the current Islamic Emirate government, reported Tolo News.
"The ongoing situation of Afghanistan has a direct impact on the neighbouring countries and therefore those countries are trying to thwart any danger through various ways," said Mehdi Afzali, an international relations analyst.
Meanwhile, political analysts believe the current situation in Afghanistan could get worse if the Taliban leadership do not consider an inclusive government, saying such could also pave the way for the international community to offer formal recognition to the group.
The Taliban's claim of creating a peaceful atmosphere for men and women is so ironic to the real picture. Women are denied their basic rights like education and even freedom of speech, which was seen and condemned by the whole world but still the Taliban makes false claims.
The participating countries will be discussing food security, regional stability and peace as well as reducing poverty. They will also talk about plans to eliminate trade barriers, development of intra-regional trade and to also digitalise customs procedures
The Tashkent conference is to be followed by a two-day conference of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on September 15-16.
It is pertinent to mention that Uzbekistan has been the venue for key meetings related to Afghanistan. Earlier meetings took place in 2018 and in 2021. Last year's meeting focused on regional connectivity between South and Central Asia and Afghanistan was represented by the then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.