Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, speaking at the summit in Tashkent, emphasized the need to involve Afghanistan in regional integration processes within the Organization for Economic Cooperation (OEC). He noted that Afghanistan, although a member of the organization, was not represented at the current event. Mirziyoyev stressed that Afghanistan's participation in the OEC is essential for the development of the organization, Sputnik reports.
"It is unacceptable for the multinational people of Afghanistan, who have been our closest neighbors for centuries, to be left alone with today's complex problems," the Uzbek leader pointed out.
Mirziyoyev also called on the international community to increase humanitarian aid to Afghans and not forget about the socio-economic issues within the country.
While Afghanistan is a member of the OEC, representatives from Kabul were not invited to the summit, as the current temporary Afghan government is not recognized by the global community, as stated by the spokesperson for the President of Uzbekistan, Sherzod Asadov.
The 16th summit of the Organization for Economic Cooperation took place on November 8-9 in the capital of Uzbekistan. Besides the Uzbek leader, heads of state from Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan were invited to the event.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
November 10, 2023