Afghanistan contact group meeting scheduled for Feb. 16 in Astana

KABUL (Pajhwok): A meeting of the special envoys’ contact group on Afghanistan is scheduled to be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on 16 February, media reports said on Thursday.

“The next meeting of the group is scheduled to take place in Astana on 16 February, highlighting Kazakhstan’s growing role as a platform for regional dialogue on security and development issues,” DKN News reported.

The first regional contact group meeting on Afghanistan was held in Kabul on 29 January 2024, focusing on regional cooperation, security and stability. Representatives of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), as well as special envoys and ambassadors from regional and neighbouring countries, attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Ismatulla Irgashev met Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan Beibut Atamkulov in Tashkent on Wednesday, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The two sides held in-depth discussions on the current state and future prospects of cooperation with Afghanistan in the trade, economic and humanitarian spheres, with particular attention given to gradually integrating Afghanistan into regional economic networks.

Atamkulov praised Uzbekistan’s efforts to promote lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan, as well as its continued humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.

kk/sa