Afghanistan Peace CampaignParticipants discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation in the areas of security, economy, transit, investment, and regional connectivity.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate, called for strengthening scientific and research cooperation among regional countries while emphasizing the role of think tanks in expanding regional collaboration during the first meeting of the Strategic Studies Centers and Think Tanks of Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Azerbaijan.
Muttaqi said: “Today, we have gathered not merely as representatives of our countries, but as intellectuals and thought leaders of a shared geography, with the aim of elevating the ties among regional 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 Foreign Minister stated that the successful convening of the first Afghanistan–Central Asia Consultative Dialogue had created a favorable political environment for expanding cooperation. However, he stressed the need for a specialized, research-oriented mechanism to transform political agreements into practical proposals and implementation plans.
In another part of his remarks, he identified security concerns and regional tensions, climate change and environmental challenges, economic and transit opportunities, as well as the need for developing indigenous narratives, as some of the most important issues requiring close cooperation among the region’s research institutions.
Muttaqi added: “Ongoing wars and conflicts in our shared regional environment have caused significant disruptions to economic supply chains, mobility, and food and energy security. Under such circumstances, research and study centers are not merely academic institutions; they can serve as intellectual partners and drivers of regional diplomacy by offering scientific and practical solutions for managing these challenges and strengthening regional integration.”
The Director of Uzbekistan’s International Institute for Central Asia said that the Kabul meeting is not merely an expert gathering, 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, told TOLOnews: “We have gathered here to develop a set of policy recommendations and practical proposals that can be highly useful under current circumstances, especially as we are witnessing unprecedented cooperation and closer relations among the countries of Central Asia, including Afghanistan.”
The meeting was hosted by the Strategic Studies Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and attended by representatives from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan.
Participants discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation in the areas of security, economy, transit, investment, and regional connectivity.