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KABUL: Afghan National Security Advisor, Hamdullah Mohib says peace in Afghanistan is peace in the entire region, therefore the regional countries need to play their role to support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process to help bring the 17-year-long war to an end.
In a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Dr. Mahmudov, Foreign Minister, Kamilov and other security officials of that country during his recent trip to Uzbekistan, Mohib and Uzbek officials discussed ongoing Afghan peace process, security, counter terrorism efforts and Afghan elections.
“Uzbekistan shares our understanding that sustainable, inclusive peace which will be embraced by people and society, can only result from Afghan owned and Afghan-led peace talks with the Taliban” Muhib said in a short statement on Wednesday, after visiting the neighboring country on Tuesday.
Muhib added Uzbek officials “believe that peace in Afghanistan means peace and economic growth for the entire region” in which Afghanistan can play a role of bridge to connect central and south Asian nations.
The meeting between Afghan and Uzbek officials came just few days after Uzbek officials met Taliban political representatives in Qatar, where Taliban have their political office, currently hosting the ongoing negotiation between the militant group and US officials.
In Qatar the Uzbek officials have also met US special envoy for Afghan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been tasked by the white house to facilitate an intra-Afghan peace process between Afghan government and the Taliban.
Uzbekistan in the past has shown willingness to help Afghan peace process and came forward to host a possible round of peace talks on Afghanistan.
However, NSA office in a short statement confirmed the Uzbek officials briefed Mohib on their meeting with the Taliban, but it did not say whether Uzbekistan was still willing to host any round of peace talks or not.
Beyond the political and security topics, the two sides also discussed bilateral trade and economic projects between the two countries, particularly electricity export to Afghanistan as Uzbekistan is one of the northern neighbors that export electricity to Afghanistan.
