Tashkent will host the international conference Afghanistan: Security and Economic Development on July 25-26. According to the Foreign Ministry, delegation of the caretaker government of Afghanistan led by acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi today landed in Tashkent to attend the conference.

The delegation was welcomed by the Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan Ismatilla Irgashev.

During today's briefing, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Yusup Kabulzhanov, said that the main objectives of this event are:

•          development of coordinated actions of the international community on Afghanistan, specific proposals and actions for the economic recovery of the country, the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people;
•          establishing an effective dialogue of the international community on the expediting the performance by the new Kabul authorities of key requirements of the world community - the creation of an inclusive government, respect for women's rights and ensuring girls' access to full school education;
•          confirmation by the caretaker government of Afghanistan of previously assumed obligations to prevent the use of the territory of Afghanistan against the security interests of neighboring countries, other states of the region and the whole world;
•          the importance of unfreezing Afghanistan's financial assets abroad, as well as the implementation of various infrastructure projects in the country's territory in the transport, communications and energy sectors.

At the moment, the conference is expected to be attended by special representatives for Afghanistan from the UK, the European Union, Iran, Italy, Spain, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, the USA, Turkey, Japan and other countries, leaders of the United Nations and its statutory bodies, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Economic Cooperation Organization, representatives of international financial institutions, as well as, for the first time, a delegation of the caretaker government of Afghanistan headed by the interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

In total, about 100 foreign delegations will take part in the event.

Within its framework, presentations of major projects implemented by Uzbekistan aimed at the development of Afghanistan and its integration into international processes will also be organized:

•          Termez-Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway project;
•          Surkhan - Puli-Khumri power line project;
•          international multifunctional transport and logistics hub for provision of humanitarian assistance;
•          educational center for training Afghan citizens in Termez.