Turkic States Organization issues joint statement on Afghanistan

On May 21, during an informal summit in Budapest, Hungary, the heads of state of the Turkic States Organization (TSO) issued a joint statement addressing the situation in Afghanistan. The leaders called for the restoration and protection of all fundamental rights of Afghan citizens without discrimination and expressed support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

The 14-point statement outlines the TSO’s shared position on a range of critical issues, including human rights, terrorism, humanitarian assistance, infrastructure, and economic cooperation.

In the document, the heads of state of the TSO:

1. Support the continued contribution of the international community to humanitarian assistance aimed at meeting the urgent needs of the Afghan people and ensuring stability in the country.

2. Express commitment to ongoing efforts to help the Afghan people and de facto authorities in achieving long-term peace, national reconciliation, stability, and development.

3. Encourage the formation of a governance structure that reflects the diversity of the Afghan population.

4. Demand respect for human rights by restoring and ensuring all fundamental rights of Afghan citizens without discrimination.

5. Demand that Afghanistan’s territory not be used for terrorist purposes against any country and that decisive measures be taken to prevent such use.

6. Stress the need to completely eliminate the illegal production and trafficking of narcotic drugs, and call for increased support to Afghanistan by offering alternative sources of livelihood.

7. Encourage the strengthening of trade and economic ties with Afghanistan to support sustainable development.

8. Emphasize the importance of returning Afghanistan’s frozen financial assets, reintegrating its banking system into the international financial system, and introducing financial transparency measures and legal safeguards to ensure the country’s economic recovery.

9. Call for the implementation of major infrastructure and transport projects in and around Afghanistan, including the Trans-Afghan Railway, the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline, the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan (TAP-500) power transmission project, the CASA-1000 project, the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway, the Surkhan–Pul-i-Khumri power transmission line, and the Lapis Lazuli corridor, and call for these projects to be supported by international financial institutions.

10. Call for continued international assistance to address the issue of Afghan refugees both within and outside Afghanistan.

11. Support a result-based roadmap, grounded in a coordinated and structured approach by the international community, with the goal of integrating Afghanistan into the global system as a peaceful and cooperative member state.

12. Take note of national, regional, and international initiatives by TSO member states regarding Afghanistan, including the UN Sustainable Development Centre for Central Asia and Afghanistan (Almaty), the Termez International Trade Centre, the Termez Multifunctional Logistics Centre, and the UN Doha Process Working Groups.

13. In this regard, encourage TSO member states to explore opportunities for cooperation with Afghanistan in areas such as economy, trade, humanitarian aid, education, and more.

14. Instruct the Ministers of Foreign Affairs to monitor the situation in Afghanistan on a regular basis through the TSO Working Group on Afghanistan.

It is worth noting that the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, addressed the issue of Afghanistan during the summit. He emphasized that regional and global security cannot be achieved without taking into account the complex realities in Afghanistan and urged a joint effort in finding effective solutions.