Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Director of the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) Axel Gotals, commented on the speech of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the SCO summit.

In his speech at the virtual summit of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO on November 10, 2020, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev very accurately noted the decisive role of the SCO as an interregional organization in resolving the Afghan crisis and achieving long-term peace. This perspective is an important component of stability and economic prosperity in the entire SCO region.

In this context, the proposal of the Head of Uzbekistan to adopt a Plan for the Socio-Economic Reconstruction of Afghanistan as part of the implementation of the "Road Map" of the actions of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group could contribute to the creation of the necessary socio-economic base for a peaceful resolution of the Afghan crisis.

The SCO can play a key role in consolidating regional support for Afghanistan and accelerating its development towards creating a viable economic model. The organization can also help re-establish Afghanistan’s historic role as a hub on the ancient Silk Road linking Asia and Europe. In addition, the SCO contributes to the formation of new initiatives in the field of transport corridors.

President Mirziyoyev’s vision on the role and place of the SCO in resolving the Afghan crisis is very timely, given the serious concerns caused by recent US statements regarding the withdrawal of troops in early 2021, which jeopardizes the peace process.

Indeed, once peace is restored in Afghanistan, it will become a powerful stimulus for all of Central Asia in terms of unlocking the region’s enormous potential in establishing interaction and trade between East and West, North and South.

In this regard, connectivity is a key factor for Central Asia’s development as it sits at the crossroads of regional engagement strategies such as the EU’s Strategy for Central Asia and China’s One Belt and One Road Initiative (BRI). These issues will be the most interesting moment for discussion at the international conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities”, which will be held in Tashkent in 2021.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also rightly listed the SCO priorities in relation to joint programs to strengthen education and digital literacy as key tools for ensuring economic growth, reducing poverty and improving the situation of socially vulnerable and low-income groups of the population.

To achieve these goals, the SCO can play a primary role, realizing its trans-regional and institutional potential for harmonizing rules, standards, regulations, customs procedures, data management, and reducing barriers to entering promising markets.

In this regard, it should be noted that the strategic position of Central Asia at the crossroads of Europe and Asia makes it also an important partner for the European Union. Interconnectivity implies broad international cooperation and therefore the new EU Strategy for Central Asia can serve as a springboard for expanding contacts between the EU and the SCO. 

This will serve not only to promote peace in Afghanistan, but also to promote shared values and experiences in social and economic development, especially in areas such as education. The very successful and well-known EU Erasmus + program can inspire the SCO to develop a similar educational program for the SCO countries in close cooperation with the EU. 

The proposal of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to hold an international conference on the theme "The role of the SCO in the system of modern international relations" on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the SCO in 2021 will fit very well into the sphere of research cooperation.