BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 1. Uzbekistan called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to resume regular dialogue with representatives of Afghanistan, linking stability therein to overall regional security and economic development, Trend's special correspondent reports.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made the proposal during the SCO’s 25th-anniversary summit in Bishkek, where he identified peace and stability in Afghanistan as a fundamental condition for the security and development of the wider region.
“Preserving peace and stability in Afghanistan remains a fundamental condition for ensuring the security and sustainable development of our region,” Mirziyoyev said.
Against this backdrop, the Uzbek president proposed resuming regular SCO dialogue with Afghan representatives. The initiative would provide a platform for discussing regional security concerns as well as Afghanistan’s economic development and integration into regional cooperation mechanisms.
For Uzbekistan, greater engagement with Afghanistan is closely linked to the development of trade, transport and energy connections across Central and South Asia. Tashkent has consistently promoted economic projects involving Afghanistan as a means of supporting regional connectivity and creating additional opportunities for the country’s economic development.
The proposal also comes as Uzbekistan seeks to strengthen the SCO’s institutional capacity to address regional security challenges. Mirziyoyev said the adoption of provisions establishing a Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats in Tashkent would mark a new stage in the organization’s institutional development.
The center is expected to provide a platform for cooperation on emerging security threats and facilitate information and expertise sharing among SCO member states.
The Afghan dialogue initiative and the planned center could complement each other by combining broader engagement with Afghanistan with stronger regional mechanisms for addressing security risks.
From Uzbekistan’s perspective, closer SCO engagement with Afghanistan could also support a more coordinated approach to the country’s economic and infrastructure development. Stable conditions in Afghanistan would facilitate the expansion of regional transport corridors and trade links connecting Central Asia with South Asian markets.
The proposals form part of Mirziyoyev’s broader vision for the SCO, which places greater emphasis on practical regional cooperation alongside its traditional security agenda.
