Uzbekistan has long cooperated with Afghanistan, even under tough circumstances, and maintained its economic and diplomatic relations with the country, particularly after the Islamic Emirate resumed power, nearly four years ago, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.
In addition to supplying humanitarian assistance to the vulnerable Afghans, including those forcedly returned from the neighboring countries and those affected by natural disasters, Uzbekistan has maintained its diplomatic mission with Afghanistan through its embassy in Kabul.
The neighboring country, despite having no ground border with Afghanistan, is seeking more economic and trade ties with the economically affected country. The Termez International Trade Center, which is known as Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Joint Market, is not only a trade center but a new chapter of friendship, cooperation, and partnership between the two countries.
Moreover, the resumption of the joint market along the Termez shared border strengthened trust between the two countries. Like many friendly countries, Uzbekistan’s non-interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs clearly shows honest relations with the ruling Islamic system. Unlike certain countries that, with all their powers, interfered in Afghanistan’s internal, tried to divide the Afghan nations into different groups, and created disagreement among various ethnic groups, Uzbekistan kept impartiality in any of the country’s issues or at least mediated to resolve some diplomatic disputes between the Islamic and other nations.
Recently, reports said that Uzbekistan has dispatched a team of doctors along with a shipment of humanitarian aid to the country’s northern province of Balkh. There, the patients are expected to be provided with medical services to the underprivileged patients. Sharing health experiences between the two countries’ physicians, through the arrival of the medical doctors from Uzbekistan, would undeniably be another step towards friendship and good relations between the two countries. The team of doctors has reportedly comprised 34 members and is scheduled to provide healthcare services in Hairatan port city for at least five days. Their specialties include general internal medicine, surgery, neurology, pediatrics, gynecology, ophthalmology, and dentistry.
The provision of assistance by Uzbekistan for the Afghan povertystricken nations signifies strong relations between the two countries. The medical team sent to the country’s Balkh province to treat the impoverished patients is another chapter of friendship between the two nations and strengthening bilateral interaction. Other countries with still no engagement with the Islamic Emirate should understand the realities in Afghanistan and learn from countries like Uzbekistan how to engage and interact with Afghanistan under the Islamic system.
To conclude, this should be noted that Uzbekistan can persuade other countries to restore good and prolific interaction with Afghanistan under the ruling Islamic Emirate. Also, Kabul and Tashkent should further normalize relations, bolster economic ties, and do their best to provide visa facilities for the citizens of the two countries and strengthen economic ties with each other.
