Jaishankar, Uzbek FM hold talks; discuss situation in Afghanistan

India and Uzbekistan discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan on Thursday and underlined the importance of a stable and peaceful Afghanistan for regional peace, stability and security.

The discussion on Afghanistan took place during talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov as they deliberated on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

During the talks, Kamilov, who was on a daylong visit here, extended an invitation to India to take part in an international conference on regional connectivity being organised by Uzbekistan in Tashkent on July 15-16.

The two leaders also reviewed bilateral relations, including in defence, connectivity and trade.

“Happy to welcome my distinguished colleague FM Abdulaziz Kamilov of Uzbekistan. Discussed our bilateral relations, including in development, defence, connectivity, trade & culture,” Jaishankar said in a tweet after the talks.

“Also exchanged views on the Afghanistan situation. Agreed to strengthen our multilateral cooperation,” he said.

A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the ministers took stock of various aspects of bilateral cooperation between India and Uzbekistan.

“They positively assessed the progress on the outcomes of the India-Uzbekistan Virtual Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held on December 11, 2020,” the statement said.

Both countries have been actively cooperating in the regional and multilateral formats, including the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the India-Central Asia Dialogue, it added.

Jaishankar and Kamilov also discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan and noted the importance of a stable and peaceful Afghanistan for regional peace, stability and security, the MEA said. P