The first meeting of the Uzbek-Afghan joint security commission was held in Tashkent on Satruday, UzA reported. The accord on establishment of the commission was signed during the official visit of the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Uzbekistan on December 4-6. The commission includes officials of the Security Councils, law enforcement and security forces of both Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
The sides reportedly considered the state and prospects of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism and extremism, the issues of combating the arms trade and drug trafficking, legalization of criminal proceeds and other forms of transnational organized crime.
An exchange of views took place on the issues of stepping up cooperation in the sphere of preventing and suppressing customs offenses and ensuring the security in the border.
The sides also underscored the importance of ensuring the security and smooth implementation of joint development and infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Mazar-e Sharif-Herat railway and the Surkhon-Puli-Khomri power transmission line, as well as the security of enterprises, centers, trading houses in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif,.
Particular attention was paid to ensuring timely implementation of the bilateral accords in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian areas.
The sides noted the enhanced comprehensive ties between the two states, and expressed readiness to boost both bilateral and multilateral cooperation in implementing joint projects in transit-transport, infrastructure, trade-economic, investment, energy and other crucial spheres.
The sides reaffirmed the close interrelation between peace, sustainable development and security in ensuring long-term stability in Afghanistan and the Central Asia. In this regard, the importance of supporting Afghanistan through enhanced regional cooperation and more effective use of political and diplomatic instruments to solve the Afghan problem with the aim of creating a zone of peace, cooperation and prosperity in Central Asia.
