Leaving Afghanistan alone with its own problems would be a “grave mistake”, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev warned at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

Mirziyoyev said that the situation in Afghanistan directly impacts international security and the new developments in the country demands a unique approach to resolving the Afghan crisis.

“Ignoring, isolating, and imposing sanctions only exacerbates the hardships faced by the ordinary Afghan people.” Mirziyouyev said. “We believe that humanitarian aid to the Afghan people should not be reduced. We call for the development of appropriate mechanisms to utilize Afghanistan’s frozen international assets to address the acute social problems in that country.”

He said: “We need an open, peaceful and sustainable Afghanistan that is actively engaged in regional cooperation initiatives and is ready for mutually beneficial partnerships with its neighbors and other countries.”

“I urge the international community to come together in resolving the issue of Afghanistan. I believe it is essential that under the leadership of the United Nations, we jointly develop a flexible and constructive approach to the Afghan issue,” Mirziyouyev said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Afghan people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and support.

“Regardless of political motives, the transformation of the interim government into an inclusive administration in which all segments of society are fairly represented will pave the way for Afghanistan and will be positively received in the international arena,” Erdogan said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres meanwhile said in his opening speech: “In Afghanistan, a staggering 70% of the population needs humanitarian assistance with the rights of women and girls systematically denied.”

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also raised the issue of Afghanistan and said his country continues to “coordinate international efforts and facilitate dialogue between the United Nations, the countries concerned, and the caretaker government of Afghanistan (IEA) to ensure compliance with the Doha Agreement, in a way that ensures non-recurrence of past mistakes, in order to prevent Afghanistan from sliding into a difficult-to-manage humanitarian crisis or becoming a haven for terrorist individuals and groups and to ensure that the Afghan people receive the international support and assistance they need, and enjoy human rights, particularly minority rights and women’s rights in education and work.”

Afghanistan’s seat at the UN General Assembly remained empty this year due to the Islamic Emirate not yet having been recognized globally as the legitimate government.