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Uzbekistan president says helping Afghans is a ‘moral obligation’
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said this week that people of Afghanistan need “good neighbors” and said it was “moral obligation” for countries in the region to help.
In an article for The Indian Express, Mirziyoyev wrote: “Afghanistan that has played for centuries the role of a buffer in the historical confrontations of global and regional powers, should try on a new peaceful mission of connecting Central and South Asia.”
In this context, he said the construction of the “trans-Afghan corridor” could become a symbol of such mutually beneficial inter-regional cooperation.
“It is also important to understand that by implementing joint infrastructure projects such as the Termez – Mazar-i-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar railroad, we are not just solving socio-economic, transport and communication problems, but also making a significant contribution to ensuring regional security,” Mirziyoyev said.
Mirziyoyev’s article was published ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday and Thursday.
“I am full of confidence that it is important and necessary for the SCO to share its success story with Afghanistan. This country is an integral part of the larger SCO space. The Afghan people need good neighbors and their support now more than ever. It is our moral obligation to extend a helping hand, to offer them effective ways of overcoming the years-long crisis by promoting socio-economic growth of the country, its integration into regional and global development processes,” he said.
“By bringing our positions closer to each other, together we can develop a new SCO agenda for a more peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. Only in this way can we create a truly stable and sustainable SCO space with an indivisible security,” he wrote.
He said: “The basis for the SCO’s international attractiveness is its non-bloc status, openness, non-targeting against third countries or the international organizations, equality and respect for the sovereignty of all participants, refusal to interfere in the internal affairs, as well as prevention of political confrontation and unhealthy rivalry.”
“The SCO’s success concept is the promotion of multifaceted cooperation through ensuring regional security. In fact, the SCO is called upon to become a pole of attraction without dividing lines, in the name of peace, cooperation and progress,” he wrote.
The SCO summit will be attended by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi among other leaders.
At a regular meeting of the Economic Commission chaired by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the National Policy for the Development of the Agriculture and Livestock Sector was approved.
According to a statement from the deputy PM’s office, the key objectives of the policy include the mechanization of the agriculture and livestock sector; development of agricultural, irrigation, and livestock research and extension systems; management of irrigation systems; support for investment in these sectors; and ensuring public access to high-quality agricultural and animal products.
During the same meeting, the development plan for the fish farming sector was also approved.
Under this plan, through private sector investment, 7,700 small, medium, and large fish production and farming facilities will be established on 6,500 hectares of land in various parts of the country.
The statement added that the implementation of this plan will create direct employment opportunities for 50,000 people and indirect employment for 250,000 others.
Officials from Afghanistan’s Ministry for Virtue and Vice successfully intervened to stop three cases of forced marriage in the provinces of Balkh, Kunar, and Parwan, protecting women’s rights under Islamic law.
The cases involved families attempting to marry off their daughters against their will. After registering and reviewing the complaints, ministry officials acted swiftly to halt the marriages.
The families were summoned and advised on the importance of respecting women’s rights and the freedom to choose a spouse. Following the intervention, they pledged that all future marriages of their daughters would occur only with the women’s full consent.
The ministry said the actions reflect its ongoing commitment to safeguarding women’s rights and enforcing Islamic principles across Afghanistan.
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Doha process private sector meeting highlights growth and coordination in Afghanistan
The session was divided into two segments, focusing on growth and inclusion in the first part, and coordination and transparency in the second.
The 3rd session of the Doha Process Private Sector Working Group was held both in-person and online at Kabul’s Grand Hotel, hosted by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
The meeting brought together representatives from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Industry and Commerce, Economy, Labor and Social Affairs, and the Central Bank, alongside UNAMA, UN agencies, international and regional organizations, as well as ambassadors, diplomats, and private sector experts.
The session was divided into two segments, focusing on growth and inclusion in the first part, and coordination and transparency in the second.
Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate representatives shared achievements and progress since assuming governance, while participants acknowledged these efforts and highlighted their ongoing support for the private sector. All parties offered recommendations to address challenges and emphasized enhanced cooperation moving forward.
Economic Commission approves national policy for development of agriculture
Afghan authorities prevent three forced marriages in Balkh, Kunar, and Parwan
Doha process private sector meeting highlights growth and coordination in Afghanistan
Uzbekistan approves feasibility study agreement for Trans-Afghan Railway
Winter Olympics: Milan action continues with packed schedule on Tuesday
Afghanistan–China joint market opens in Kabul
Pakistan approves re-export of stranded Afghan transit trade cargo
Pakistan army orders evacuation of Tirah Valley, fears of mass displacement grow
Afghan traders sign deal to import pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh
Uzbekistan pushes forward with Trans-Afghan railway project
Tahawol: Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Failure of Towards Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Regional Problems, Opportunities, and Challenges discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s relations and opportunities with regional countries
Tahawol: Kabul’s response to Pakistan’s new accusation discussed
Saar: Discussion on Iran-US talks in Oman
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