Tashkent: Uzbekistan has urged the Afghan government led by the Taliban to sever all ties with terrorist organizations, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Tuesday.
The Uzbek capital of Tashkent is hosting a two-day international conference on Afghanistan on Monday and Tuesday. Over 100 foreign delegations are taking part.
“We call on the current government of Afghanistan to demonstrate strong resolve and take decisive measures to prevent and counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and to sever ties with all terrorist organizations. This will facilitate the strengthening of confidence in the interim government,” Mirziyoyev said in an address to the participants of the conference.
The Uzbek president also urged participants to direct their efforts to creating necessary conditions for Afghanistan to become a peaceful, stable, and prosperous country free from terrorism and drugs.
“Our priority should be an economic recovery, which is an important condition for achieving lasting peace in this long-suffering country,” Mirziyoyev added.
Since taking power in Afghanistan in the fall of 2021, the Taliban has been battling a local branch of the Islamic State, which is believed to be behind the most recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan.
According to the Taliban, the IS presence in the country is small and the movement has made progress in eradicating it.
