MONITORING (SW) – On Saturday, during a meeting of the Organization of Turkic States in Shusha, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated that global conflicts have led to Afghanistan being overlooked by the international community.
Highlighting the importance of Afghanistan, Mirziyoyev urged the members of the Turkic States to include Afghanistan in their global dialogues in a coordinated manner.
“Unfortunately, due to the intensification of wars and conflicts in other parts of the world, the situation in Afghanistan, our neighbor, has been neglected by the international community. In these circumstances, Afghanistan’s development issues require joint approaches and consensus among our organization’s members,” he said.
The President of Uzbekistan assured the continued support of his country to Afghanistan and called for collective efforts to assist Afghan citizens.
Political analysts and international relations experts warn that Afghanistan’s absence from the global spotlight could exacerbate internal challenges and affect the Islamic Emirate’s relationships with other countries.
Mahmood Ezterabi, a political analyst, suggested that the de-facto government can bring global attention back to Afghanistan by opening diplomatic channels.
“Thoughts of compromise and convergence with the world are diminishing, and consensus is weakening. Unless the Islamic Emirate opens diplomatic doors to the world, this opportunity will be lost, and Afghanistan will remain on the sidelines,” Ezterabi said.
Ajmal Zurmati, an international relations expert, added, “Countries are distancing themselves from open policies and global integration, focusing more on their interests and shaping their relations based on reciprocal interactions. As a result, they are sidelining Afghanistan.”
In 2023, Afghanistan was a central topic in global discussions, with over 20 major and minor meetings held about the country. These meetings largely focused on forming an inclusive government, ensuring Afghanistan’s territory is not used against other countries, combating drug trafficking, and upholding human rights, particularly women’s rights.
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