Foreign Ministers of India and the five Central Asian Republics - Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan - on Sunday held the 3rd India-Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi where they discussed trade and regional connectivity between India and Central Asia, and also exchanged views about the situation in Afghanistan.

In a joint statement released following the dialogue, the ministers called for concrete actions against terrorism in Afghanistan and agreed to continue their close consultations on the situation in the country.

The Ministers reaffirmed the importance of UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021) which unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning, or financing terrorist acts and called for concerted action against all terrorist groups, reads the statement.

The ministers also said they support a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan while emphasizing the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs.

The participants discussed the current humanitarian situation and decided to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, the statement reads.

According to the ministers, there is a broad regional consensus that an inclusive government should be formed in Afghanistan and human rights should be upheld to resolve the problems in the country.

Ministers noted that there is a broad ‘regional consensus’ on the issues related to Afghanistan, which includes formation of a truly representative and inclusive government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, central role of the UN, providing immediate humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people and preserving the rights of women, children and other national ethnic groups, the statement reads.

The participants also called on the international community to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation and implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, global counter-terrorism strategies, and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards to combat terrorism in all its forms.