A month after a Taliban delegation held talks with Uzbekistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Monday sought political dialogue between Kabul and the fighters to end the conflict in Afghanistan.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that his country had suffered a great deal in the past because of the lingering conflict in Afghanistan and urged for peace.
“Because of the conflict in Afghanistan we have suffered a great deal in the past. There is no military solution to the problem and the government of Afghanistan should hold political dialogue to end the conflict,” said President Mirziyoyev.
The Uzbek leader, who is visiting India soon after the last week’s visit by his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani, is one of the tallest regional leaders to speak on dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban fighters who are challenging Mr. Ghani’s government in large parts of Afghanistan.
A Taliban delegation visited Uzbekistan in August for a four-day visit at the peak of the fighting in the Ghazni city in Southeastern Afghanistan.
Mr. Mirziyoyev’s push for dialogue between the government and the fighters in Afghanistan is the latest in his initiatives. In March, he sought an end to the conflict through the formula of “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” political solution.
The visiting dignitary said that India and Uzbekistan agree on key regional security issues and highlighted the agreement to conduct joint military exercise.
Mr. Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a ceremony where seventeen agreements were signed and exchanged at the Hyderabad House on Monday.
