Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza sector and the commencement of peace negotiations.

“The consequences of the bloody war in the Gaza sector, which has been ongoing for nine months, deeply sadden us. There is no justification for the clashes that have claimed the lives of about 40,000 residents, including many women and children. We call for an immediate cessation of violent actions and the start of a peaceful process,” stated Mirziyoyev at the informal summit of the Turkic States Organization in Shusha.

The President emphasized that "the key condition for ensuring strategic stability and peace in the Middle East is the creation of an independent and free state of Palestine."

He also drew attention to the situation in Afghanistan, stressing that Uzbekistan will continue to provide necessary assistance to the Afghan people.

"Unfortunately, due to the escalation of military actions and conflicts in other regions of the world, the situation in neighboring Afghanistan, home to millions of Turkic peoples, remains beyond international attention," noted Mirziyoyev.

"We are confident that the return of Afghanistan’s frozen assets abroad will contribute to alleviating the country’s social situation. Under the new circumstances, issues related to developing common and unified approaches to Afghanistan should be the main topic of our foreign ministers’ negotiations," he underscored.