Islomkhon Gafarov expressed his views on Uzbekistan’s active foreign policy and regional cooperation on a recent edition of Mahalla TV’s MINBAR programme. Noting that Central Asian countries have significantly strengthened their co-operation in recent years, which has allowed resolving many long-standing sensitive issues, including delimitation and demarcation of state borders, as well as effective management of transboundary water resources, the expert stressed that these achievements have become possible due to joint efforts and political will of the region’s countries aimed at ensuring stability and sustainable development. In turn, the resolution of border issues has contributed to reducing potential conflicts and building trust between states, which has a positive impact on regional security.

 

However, according to Islomkhon Gafarov, despite the successes achieved, the region still faces several economic challenges. The lack of direct access to the world’s oceans forces Central Asian countries to seek alternative transport corridors for exporting and importing goods. The most promising direction in this context is South Asia, through which the nearest access to the ocean lies. Establishing close economic and infrastructural ties with the states of this region could significantly increase the trade and economic potential of Central Asia.

 

The expert added that the issue of stability and security in Afghanistan, through which the key routes linking Central Asia to southern markets pass, is of particular importance in this regard. Afghanistan’s sustainable development and security on its territory are prerequisites for the realisation of long-term transport and economic projects, which makes strengthening cooperation with the Afghan authorities an important aspect of regional policy.