WASHINGTON – The United States, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed in principle to establish a new quadrilateral diplomatic platform focused on enhancing regional connectivity.
The decision was taken during a meeting in Tashkent involving Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar, and US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad.
Foreign Office in a statement said: “The parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional-connectivity and agree that peace and regional connectivity and mutually reinforcing”.
Recognizing the historic opportunity to open flourishing international trade routes, the parties intend to cooperate to expand trade, build transit links and strengthen business-to-business ties.
The parties agreed to meet in the coming months to determine the modalities of this cooperation with mutual consensus.
The development comes amid the ongoing withdrawal of the US troops from the war-torn country.
