The US Department of State released a joint statement of the meeting of the Special Representatives and Special Envoys for Afghanistan of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the United States under the auspices of the C5+1 regional diplomatic platform.
According to the statement, the representatives met on July 27 in Astana Kazakhstan and discussed the continuing need for all countries in the region and the broader international community to support an inclusive, united, sovereign, stable, and self-reliant Afghanistan that is free of terrorism, respects the rights of its population, including women and girls, and is at peace with itself and its neighbors.
The participants, according to the statement, “underlined the importance of preventing the territory of Afghanistan from being used as a base for hosting, financing, or exporting terrorism and violent extremism to other countries, and reaffirmed the need for strengthening cooperation on countering trafficking in persons, arms, and illegal drugs.”
They also acknowledged that the seriousness of the humanitarian and economic conditions in Afghanistan requires a strong and coordinated response from the international community that addresses all dimensions of the situation; and emphasized that this response requires, among other things, full access for humanitarian actors to all Afghans in need, in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, as well as full respect for International Humanitarian Law.
The group "reiterated that the goal of a stable, economically viable and peaceful Afghanistan is only attainable if all Afghans, including women and girls, and persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, can fully, equally, and meaningfully participate in—and contribute to—the country’s future; and highlighted the need for an inclusive process of dialogue on the country’s political future that focuses on, among other things, the establishment of accountable and representative governing bodies,” the statement reads.
They also reiterated support for freedom of movement and reaffirmed the importance of projects that promote regional connectivity and transit trade through the construction of energy infrastructure and extension of transportation networks connecting Central Asia to South Asia via Afghanistan.
The participants also praised the “significant decreases” in opium poppy cultivation in 2023, but expressed concern regarding continued opiate exports and synthetic drug production in Afghanistan.