Uzbekistan experts investigate Afghanistan’s cultural heritage and discuss regional issues

A delegation from the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS), led by First Deputy Director Akramjon Nematov and including representatives of the International Institute for Central Asia (IICA) and the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (SIC ICWC), is on a working visit to Afghanistan.

The visit is part of the delegation’s participation in the Central Asia – Afghanistan Think Tank Forum, held in Kabul on June 16, 2026. The Uzbek experts’ extensive and substantive program covered the neighboring country’s key administrative and cultural centers – Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif.

During the visit, the expert delegation participated in several key working meetings with staff from Uzbekistan’s diplomatic missions – at the Embassy in Kabul and the Consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif. The discussions with Uzbek diplomats included detailed analyses of regional security challenges, sustainable development efforts, and the potential to increase connectivity across Central and South Asia.

The parties thoroughly reviewed key joint projects in transport, logistics, and energy, as well as mechanisms to enhance cross-border trade and humanitarian efforts. A central part of the visit was the delegation’s exploration of Afghanistan’s rich cultural and historical heritage, which serves as a significant soft-power asset and underpins the spiritual connection between the two nations. In Kabul, Uzbek experts visited the Bagh-e Babur memorial complex, also known as Babur Gardens.

During the visit, a meeting took place with the complex’s management where the lasting significance of the Baburid civilizational heritage was thoroughly discussed.

The Uzbek experts’ cultural and humanitarian mission in Mazar-i-Sharif included a visit to the famous Blue Mosque complex and the Shrine of Hazrat Ali.

Akramjon Nematov remarked that the outcomes of the meetings with Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif’s management regarding historical monuments highlight the shared heritage as clear evidence of the inseparable cultural and historical connection between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, fostering a sense of unity between their peoples.

UzA