Uzbekistan has called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to resume regular dialogue with Afghan representatives, saying peace and stability in the country are essential to the security and economic development of the wider region.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made the proposal during the SCO’s 25th-anniversary summit in Bishkek.

“Preserving peace and stability in Afghanistan remains a fundamental condition for ensuring the security and sustainable development of our region,” Mirziyoyev said.

He proposed renewed regular engagement as a platform for discussing regional security concerns, economic development and integration into regional cooperation mechanisms.

For Uzbekistan, closer engagement is closely linked to the expansion of trade, transport and energy connections between Central and South Asia. Tashkent has consistently promoted infrastructure and economic projects involving its southern neighbor as a means of strengthening regional connectivity and creating new opportunities for development.

Mirziyoyev also highlighted efforts to strengthen the SCO’s institutional capacity to address emerging security challenges. He said the adoption of provisions establishing a Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats in Tashkent would mark a new stage in the organization’s institutional development.

The center is expected to facilitate cooperation among SCO member states, including through information and expertise sharing on emerging security threats.

Together, the initiatives could support a more coordinated regional approach, combining diplomatic engagement with stronger mechanisms to address security risks.

Greater stability would also help expand transport corridors and trade links connecting Central Asia with South Asian markets.

The proposals reflect Mirziyoyev’s broader vision for the SCO, with greater emphasis on practical economic and regional cooperation alongside its traditional security agenda.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow remains in close contact with Tajikistan over security concerns related to neighboring Afghanistan.

Speaking with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Putin said: “We are aware of your concerns about what is happening in our neighboring country, Afghanistan, and we are in close contact on these and other security-related issues.”

Russia and Tajikistan have maintained close security cooperation over concerns about instability and militant threats linked to Afghanistan.

Tajikistan shares a long border with Afghanistan and has repeatedly raised concerns about cross-border security, terrorism, drug trafficking and other threats. Russia, which maintains a military presence in Tajikistan, has also strengthened cooperation with Dushanbe and other Central Asian states on border security and counterterrorism.

The issue of Afghanistan’s security situation has remained a key concern for Moscow and its Central Asian allies, particularly since the change of government in Kabul in 2021.

However, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has repeatedly stated that it will not allow any individual or group to threaten another country from within its borders.

The National Procurement Commission, chaired by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, has approved a proposal to construct a commercial market in Kabul’s first district, in the Mandawi area, on property owned by the Ministry of Finance.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the market will be an eight-story building constructed with an investment of approximately 162 million AFN and will contain 560 shops.

The Prime Minister’s Office also announced that a committee has been tasked with distinguishing the activities of cargo and postal service companies in accordance with the laws in force under the Islamic Emirate and international standards, and submitting its report to the Economic Commission.