Int'l community should adopt roadmap to facilitate reconciliation process in Afghanistan - Uzbek leader
TASHKENT. March 27 (Interfax) - Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has reiterated the need to develop and implement a unified and coordinated broad peace program for Afghanistan at the regional and global levels.
"In our opinion, the main condition for moving toward peace is primarily the formulation and practical fulfilment of a unified and broad peace program for Afghanistan that will be coordinated at the regional and global levels," Mirziyoyev said at an international conference on Afghanistan in the Uzbek capital Tashkent on Tuesday.
Uzbekistan supports the decisions adopted by the participants in the second session as part of the Kabul process in favor of launching direct negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban movement (banned in Russia) "without any preliminary conditions and threats to use violence," the Uzbek president said.
Steps to work out the main principles of a peaceful settlement process in Afghanistan, achieve a broad international consensus and also develop a mechanism that would help launch talks between the Afghan government and the armed opposition should become the main goals and tasks of such joint efforts, he said.
It is necessary to adopt a roadmap that would allow the international community to facilitate a national reconciliation process in Afghanistan, the Uzbek leader said.
"A resolute and unanimous appeal from all of the external forces concerns for the armed opposition to sit down at the negotiating table with the Afghan government and put an end to the confrontation and violence will be invaluable," he said.
At the same time, it is extremely important to launch an intra-Afghan dialogue before the country holds its parliamentary and presidential elections, Mirziyoyev said, adding that such steps would offer broad opportunities to all sections of society, including opposition forces, to play a full-fledged role in building a new Afghanistan.
"At the regional level, it is necessary to ensure a solid consensus, primarily with the support of Pakistan, India, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and countries of Central Asia," the Uzbek president said.