On 7 December 2025, as part of the annual Doha Forum, a dedicated session will be held focusing on the Termez Dialogue on connectivity between Central and South Asia, under the motto: “Rebuilding Afghanistan through Regional Connectivity: The Termez Dialogue.”

The event is organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS) in cooperation with the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University in Qatar.

The Termez Dialogue, launched in May 2025 in the city of Termez, is a permanent platform aimed at the practical advancement of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiative to strengthen connectivity between Central and South Asia — an initiative endorsed by a special UN General Assembly resolution adopted on 11 July 2022.

In today’s environment of major geopolitical change, restoring the historic connections between Central and South Asia has become a practical necessity. Connectivity, cooperation, dialogue, and trust are fundamental to ensuring security, stability, and sustainable development in this strategically vital macro-region.

Afghanistan holds a pivotal role in these developments. Its geographic location makes it a natural bridge between Central and South Asia. Promoting pragmatic cooperation, strengthening economic ties, and integrating Afghanistan into interregional initiatives are seen as essential for ensuring long-term stability and peaceful development across the broader region.

These issues will form the core agenda of the upcoming session. Participants will discuss the role of Afghanistan in enhancing trans-regional connectivity, as well as practical steps to support sustainable socio-economic development in the broader regional context.

The session will be moderated by Zahra Babar, Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar.

The discussion will be joined by:

– Ismatulla Irgashev, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan;

– Eldor Aripov, Director of the ISRS;

– Abdul Hai Kanit, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan;

– Faisal Abdullah Al-Henzab, Special Representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar;

– Waleed Ziad, Professor of History at Georgetown University in Qatar.

The Doha Forum has been held since 2002 with the support of the Government of Qatar and has established itself as a prestigious international platform for discussing current global challenges. In 2025, the Forum is held under the theme “Justice in Action: From Promises to Progress.”

The Forum is expected to bring together around 8,000 participants from nearly 150 countries, including top representatives and experts from leading think tanks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, the EU, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and Korea.