According to the Ministry, Uzbekistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, and the EU special representative for the Asian country, Tomas Niklasson, held a meeting during which they discussed bilateral cooperation.

“Mutual interest was expressed in continuing consultations on Afghanistan both on bilateral basis, as well as at the level of special envoys of the Central Asian countries,” the statement said.

Irgashev and Niklasson discussed the efforts of Uzbekistan and the EU to peacefully resolve the Afghan crisis and to provide the country with humanitarian and other assistance.

The two diplomats also stressed the importance of UN leadership in resolving the crisis in Afghanistan and coordinating international efforts.

In July, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyóyev regretted that Afghanistan’s problems and the tragedy of its people had taken a back seat on the international agenda.

The Taliban movement seized power on August 15, 2021 ending two decades of armed conflict with the government that was supported by the United States and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries.

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