23 Jul 2018 14:59

C5+1 negotiators: Afghan settlement is vital factor in Central Asia's development

TASHKENT. July 23 (Interfax) - Members of the Security Working Group of the Central Asian states and the United States (C5+1) cooperation format have met in Tashkent to discuss countering extremism and terrorism in the region and interaction in settling the situation in Afghanistan, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry's press service said on Monday.

"The participants in the meeting emphasized that steady and sustainable development in Central Asia is tightly linked to the achievement of peace and accord in neighboring Afghanistan," the statement said.

The negotiators "shared opinions on regional and international security, including on expanding cooperation to tackle the threats of extremism and terrorism and ensuring border security," it said.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Henry Ensher.

The C5+1 format was launched at the Samarkand talks in November 2015. It an advisory mechanism seeking to enhance political, trade and economic, and investment cooperation, and interaction to prevent and combat transborder threats and challenges.