“Uzbekistan supports activization of multilateral efforts in countering the new threats and challenges to security. We hope that decisions that will be adopted during the session will allow to continue more effectively the cooperation in this direction,” Uzbek Foreign Minister said.

“It is obvious that the situation developing in Afghanistan continues to pose threat to the regional and global security. Afghanistan remains a source of such threats as drug trafficking, dissemination of weapon, international terrorism, human trafficking, etc,” he added.

The problem of Afghanistan and ways of its settling are, without any exaggeration, in the focus of attention of the world’s largest powers and international community, he said.

The Uzbek official said: “In this regard, the strategy on resolution of Afghan problem announced by the US President Barak Obama on 1 December, in our view, primarily attracts attention by its strive to define a strategy and most importantly a time frame for completion of the military campaign in Afghanistan and in future it allows to leave full responsibility for establishing peace and stability in long-suffering soil of Afghanistan in hands of Afghanis themselves.”

It is clear that this strategy cannot be implemented without coordination of efforts of all forces interested in earliest possible laying the end to war in Afghanistan lasting for more than 30 years, the Uzbek said.

He said: “In our view, it is particularly topical that without achieving a consensus within Afghanistan and leaning on neighboring countries it is impossible to ensure peace.”

“We are certain that the settlement of the Afghan problem could be facilitated by creation under the auspices of the United Nations of the Contact Group “6+3”.President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov has repeatedly emphasized that implementation of this initiative involving neighboring countries would allow achievement of an accord both in and around Afghanistan,” the Uzbek official said.