On October 5-6, the Second Caspian Europe Forum was held via videoconference.

It was attended by representatives of government and business circles of the countries of Central Asia, the Caspian region and the European Union 

The conference is aimed at promoting the development of business relations between the EU, Central Asia and the Caspian region. A session was organized on the geopolitical and economic implications of the current events in Afghanistan for the countries of the region.

ISRS First Deputy Director A. Nematov outlined the main approaches of Uzbekistan to resolving the situation in Afghanistan.

It was emphasized that the establishment of peace in this country is one of the priorities of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy. Afghanistan remains a key factor in ensuring stability and sustainable development in Central Asia.

It was noted that Uzbekistan has always advocated a political settlement of the conflict in a neighboring country, the restoration of its economy through the implementation of social, economic and infrastructure projects, as an important condition for achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan.

According to A. Nematov, the coming to power of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan is an objective reality. Uzbekistan, as the closest neighbor, holds a dialogue with the new Afghan authorities, advocates for the formation of an inclusive government, full consideration of fundamental human rights and freedoms, including women and national minorities, as well as preventing the use of the country’s territory for subversive actions against neighboring states.

At the same time, the expert emphasized that in the current difficult period, the isolation of Afghanistan should not be allowed, and it should not be left alone with the existing problems. A protracted humanitarian and socio-economic crisis, as well as the difficult process of forming a capable government, can create a security vacuum in Afghanistan. This, in turn, will aggravate the already deplorable situation of the Afghan people, may contribute to the activation of terrorist and extremist groups, and increase the risks of transferring their actions to neighboring countries.

According to the ISRS First Deputy Director, it is necessary to avoid repeating the scenario of the 1990s in Afghanistan, when the country was engulfed in a civil war and a humanitarian crisis, and its territory turned into a hub of international terrorism and drug production.

Afghan expert Jamshid Rahimi noted that Afghanistan will not be able to overcome the current economic shock alone. According to him, the country’s economy has been seriously affected by the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions in export-import operations and bank closures amid recent political-military events.

“In these conditions, Afghanistan will be able to restore its economy only with the support of the international community”, the Afghan representative stated.

The Caspian Europe Forum has been held since 2020 with the participation of representatives of government and business circles of the countries of Central Asia, the Caspian region and the European Union. The Second Forum was attended by ministers and entrepreneurs, leading international experts from more than 10 countries and 30 international organizations and companies, including ADB, CAREC, Schneider Group (Germany), etc. Development of logistics, infrastructure, energy, digital economy, investments between the EU, the countries of Central Asia and the Caspian region were discussed at the event.

UzA