Bishkek, June 21, 2021. / Kabar /. Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev met with Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.
The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic said that two ministers discussed topical issues of bilateral relations. To strengthen cooperation in the field of political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, as well as in countering international terrorism and drug trafficking the sides discussed the need to adopt a Joint Roadmap plan for bilateral cooperation with the establishment of specialized committees in the above areas.
In order to diversify and develop mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation and support ties between the business circles of Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, Kazakbaev proposed to hold the first meeting of the joint Kyrgyz-Afghan intergovernmental commission in Bishkek.
Ruslan Kazakbaev expressed gratitude to the Afghan foreign minister and, through him, the government for the measures taken by the Afghan side to improve the situation of the ethnic Kyrgyz living in the Pamirs of Afghanistan and expressed hope for further assistance to the government of the Kyrgyz Republic in delivering humanitarian aid to them.
For the purpose of substantive discussion of the current agenda of Kyrgyz-Afghan relations, the sides agreed to hold a regular meeting of political consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers of the two states this year.
Foreign Minister Atmar assured that the IRA government will not allow anyone from the territory of Afghanistan to threaten neighboring states and Kyrgyzstan, in particular. He stressed that Afghanistan strives for peace, stability and strengthening of regional security. He also expressed gratitude to the Kyrgyz side for the support provided to the IRA government in promoting the inter-Afghan reconciliation process and the hope that it is with the assistance of the brotherly states of Central Asia that the Afghan people will be able to achieve peace and prosperity.
Minister Kazakbaev appealed to the Afghan side with a request to support the candidacy of Kyrgyzstan to the UN Human Rights Council for the period 2023-2025, as well as to the Non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the period 2027-2028.
At the end of the meeting, the sides exchanged mutual invitations to pay official visits to Bishkek and Kabul.
