C5+1 Foreign Ministers Discuss Afghanistan On UNGA Sidelines - Nur-Sultan

Foreign ministers of five Central Asian nations and the United States have reaffirmed commitment to resolving the situation in Afghanistan during a C5+1 meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, the Kazakh foreign ministry said on Thursday

ALMATY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2021) Foreign ministers of five Central Asian nations and the United States have reaffirmed commitment to resolving the situation in Afghanistan during a C5+1 meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, the Kazakh foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The meeting took place on Wednesday with the participation of Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi, US State Secretary Antony Blinken, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Mukhriddin, Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.

"During the talks, a wide range of issues on the bilateral, regional and international agenda were discussed, including upcoming meetings at the highest and high levels, the current situation in Afghanistan and the promotion of the inter-Afghan dialogue, and more," the ministry said in a statement.

The participants reaffirmed the significance of the C5+1 regional diplomatic platform for "resolving the critical situation in Afghanistan, great potential in uniting the efforts of the states of the region to counter COVID-19, taking full advantage of opportunities of the economic connectivity and combating the climate crisis."

"The head of the Kazakh Ministry said that 'С5 + 1' has established itself as a regular platform for discussing regional security, building up mutually beneficial ties within the Central Asian region and the United States," the statement added.

Later on Wednesday, Tileuberdi held bilateral talks with other senior officials, including Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicolae Popescu, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris, and UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, among others.