KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th March, 2021) Afghanistan is about to become a regional hub connecting various parts of Asia and facilitating prosperity and connectivity, President Ashraf Ghani said on Thursday at the 14th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit, which is being held online.
The summit was called to discuss regional economic cooperation after the coronavirus pandemic and is chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"Afghanistan is poised to serve as a roundabout between central, east, south and west Asia and a platform of international and regional cooperation. Afghanistan is poised [assume] its role as a platform for Asia's accord for security, prosperity, stability and regional connectivity," Ghani said in a virtual address.
The president stressed that Afghanistan had a historic opportunity to reach just and lasting peace in becoming sovereign, united and democratic. country.
"Pakistan has an especially significant role to play in supporting a lasting peace process, for it is the country most likely to suffer from the adverse consequences of a failed peace process," Ghani added.
Ghani told participants that the country had known peace for 42 years and it is the time to stop violence and the killing.
"Afghanistan will continue to support ECO, as demonstrated by the increase in our contribution from 1.2 percent to 2 percent. I do hope, however, that ECO will rise to the challenge of the reset arising from the effect of COVID-19, including the revitalization of the ECO fund for Afghanistan reconstruction," the Afghan leader stated.
The peace negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban began in the Qatari capital of Doha back in September. In early December, Kabul and the Taliban announced that they had agreed on the framework of the talks, allowing for discussions to now be held on substantive issues. Little progress, however, has so far been made since then.
