U.S. and Central Asian states hold C5+1 Special Session on Afghanistan in Astana, Kazakhstan, U.S. Department of State said in a joint statement released on August 11, 2023.
According to the statement, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West met with Special Representatives and Special Envoys for Afghanistan of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan in Astana, Kazakhstan under the auspices of the C5+1 regional diplomatic platform.
The officials exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan and its implications for the region as well as emphasized the opportunities for cooperation between the U.S. and Central Asian states in support of the Afghan people and in furtherance of security and resilience in the wider region.
The officials also reiterated support for “freedom of movement, including for women, within Afghanistan, as well as to and from the country; and emphasized that Afghans with valid travel documents and visas should be free to travel and move in an unrestricted manner,” the joint statement highlighted
The Central Asian leaders and the U.S. officials also welcomed the significant decreases in opium poppy cultivation in 2023, however, expressed concern regarding “continued opiate exports and synthetic drug production in Afghanistan, as every country in the region and beyond has a shared interest in an Afghanistan free of drugs.”
The U.S. Department of State released a joint statement of shared C5+1 objectives highlighting:
- The need for all countries in the region and the broader international community to support an inclusive, united, sovereign, stable, and self-reliant Afghanistan that is free of terrorism, respects the rights of its population, including women and girls, and is at peace with itself and its neighbors;
- The importance of preventing the territory of Afghanistan from being used as a base for hosting, financing, or exporting terrorism and violent extremism to other countries, and reaffirmed the need for strengthening cooperation on countering trafficking in persons, arms, and illegal drugs;
- The seriousness of the humanitarian and economic conditions in Afghanistan requires a strong and coordinated response from the international community that addresses all dimensions of the situation; and emphasized that this response requires, among other things, full access for humanitarian actors to all Afghans in need, in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as full respect for International Humanitarian Law;
- Ensuring stability, economic viability, and a peaceful environment in Afghanistan, including women and girls, and persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, as well as the need for an inclusive process of dialogue on the country’s political future that focuses on, among other things, the establishment of accountable and representative governing bodies;
- The importance of projects that promote regional connectivity and transit trade through the construction of energy infrastructure and extension of transportation networks connecting Central Asia to South Asia via Afghanistan.
The participants agreed to continue support for “the work of the international community in Afghanistan and welcomed the efforts of the UN Secretary General to convene international stakeholders to discuss shared interests and concerns; emphasized the importance of the continued UN political presence in Afghanistan and its goals of, among other things, promoting effective, responsible and inclusive governance and supporting meaningful reconciliation processes; strengthening respect and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all men and women; supporting essential services; and contributing to the creation of social and economic conditions that can lead to Afghanistan’s self-reliance.”
