Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said joint regional and international cooperation can help stabilise Afghanistan and improve the lives of its people. He was speaking during the first Central Asia–Japan summit in Tokyo.
The two-day summit, held on Friday and Saturday, December 19 and 20, brought together Japan and the five Central Asian states including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan for multilateral talks aimed at expanding cooperation and addressing shared regional challenges.
Regional security and stability, enhanced coordination, and efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime were among the main items on the agenda.
Mirziyoyev said uniting efforts to preserve peace and strengthen stability is particularly important, adding that Afghanistan remains a key area for cooperation. He said he hopes to see Afghanistan peaceful, stable and focused on constructive development.
The Uzbek president also praised Japan’s assistance to Afghanistan, saying Uzbekistan highly values Tokyo’s consistent position. He noted that for many years Japan has been among the leading donors and partners supporting the Afghan people.
Mirziyoyev said he is confident that joint actions and partnerships will help improve living conditions, promote socio-economic and infrastructure development, and support Afghanistan’s active participation in regional economic projects.
Japan’s embassy in Afghanistan said on Wednesday that Tokyo has allocated $19.5 million in humanitarian aid for people in need in the country, expressing hope that the assistance will make a tangible difference for vulnerable Afghans.
Although Uzbekistan, like most countries, has not formally recognised the Taliban administration, it maintains broad diplomatic and economic relations with it. Mirziyoyev has frequently highlighted Afghanistan in regional and international forums, describing stability in the country as being in the interest of Central Asia as a whole.
