Kazakhstan to Host Regional Contact Group Meeting on Afghanistan

Bibot Atamkulov, Kazakhstan's ambassador to Uzbekistan, announced during a meeting with Ismatullah Irgashev, Uzbekistan's special representative for Afghanistan, that a regional Contact Group meeting on Afghanistan will be held in Kazakhstan.

According to a press release from the Kazakh embassy, the two officials discussed prospects for cooperation with Afghanistan in trade, economic, and humanitarian aid sectors, as well as adapting investment projects. Atamkulov expressed appreciation for Uzbekistan's efforts to facilitate lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and its continued humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. He emphasized the importance of ongoing humanitarian support and the gradual integration of Afghanistan into regional trade and economic linkages.

Irgashev provided an overview of Uzbekistan's humanitarian aid and economic support initiatives for Afghanistan. The meeting also covered regional security and stability issues, with both sides affirming their full readiness to expand Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan cooperation centered on Afghanistan.

Since the Taliban's return to power, Central Asian countries, particularly Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, have pursued a pragmatic, risk-management approach toward Afghanistan. Although neither has formally recognized the Taliban administration, their official and unofficial interactions with Kabul have significantly increased.

The Contact Group, comprising representatives from regional countries, aims to establish an effective mechanism for implementing decisions on Afghanistan and bolstering cooperation to address the country's humanitarian, political, and economic challenges. The first meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Contact Group of Ministers on Afghanistan took place in New York in October.