First Meeting of Special Representatives of Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan discusses aspects of promoting women's access to workforce

Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent on Tuesday (March 7) hosted the First Meeting of Special Representatives of Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan that saw representatives of Iran, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The opening speech was delivered by the Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan Ismatulla Ergashev.

Reportedly, the event highlighted the importance of the timely delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as well as promoting women’s involvement in the regional connectivity process in the republic. This includes ensuring women’s rights to work and education which would greatly contribute to the country’s stability and peace.

Delegations welcomed the initiative of Uzbekistan to establish a high-level international negotiating group under the auspices of the United Nations to prepare and agree with the Afghan authorities on an algorithm for the phased implementation of the parties' obligations.

Participants, noting that all terrorist groups based in Afghanistan continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security, strongly called for the present de-facto Afghan authorities have taken more effective measures to dismantle terrorist groups in the country, Dunyo reports.

The sides stressed the importance of the Interim Government of Afghanistan's continuous steps to prevent the growth of the drug threat and to intensify the fight against drug production and trafficking.

The participants of the meeting agreed to hold the 4th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the countries neighboring Afghanistan in Uzbekistan.

The meeting resulted in a joint statement.