On May 27 this year at the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS) the meeting of ISRS Director Eldor Aripov with Canada's Special Representative for Afghanistan David Sproule and newly appointed Canadian Ambassador to our country Alan Hamson was held.

During the talks, the sides had a substantive discussion on the current situation in Afghanistan and regional security issues.

The Canadian guests were informed of Uzbekistan's principled position on promoting peaceful and sustainable development of Afghanistan and strengthening peace in that country.

It was noted that the economic recovery of Afghanistan and its involvement in interregional trade relations was an important factor in achieving lasting and sustainable peace in the country. Moreover, it was emphasized that a stable Afghanistan offers unique and strategic opportunities to strengthen not only transregional connectivity but also to maintain security across the vast Eurasian space.

As Eldor Aripov pointed out, one of the strategic goals of Uzbekistan is to restore the historical role of Afghanistan as a bridge linking Central and South Asia.

In turn, highly appreciating Uzbekistan's efforts and initiatives in the Afghan direction, David Sproul noted that Tashkent has historically played a key role in the Afghan issue and is a reliable partner of the international community.

The diplomat acknowledged that Uzbekistan is pursuing a consistent policy of consolidating efforts in developing common approaches of the world community towards Afghanistan.

“This was evidenced by the International Conference «Afghanistan: Security and Economic Development» that was held in Tashkent in July 2022,” said Canada's Special Representative for Afghanistan.

Supporting this viewpoint, Canadian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Alan Hamson emphasized that Tashkent is making significant efforts in the socio-economic reconstruction of Afghanistan. “I saw this with my own eyes during my visit to Termez, when I visited the Educational Center for training of Afghan citizens, where young people, including girls, are trained in higher and specialized secondary and vocational education,” the Canadian diplomat underlined. According to him, this is a unique institution that demonstrates Uzbekistan's commitment to socio-economic reconstruction of Afghanistan.