Hamza Boltaev, Senior Researcher at The Institute for Advanced International Relations, Tashkent, emphasized how Uzbekistan has altered its paradigm in engaging in not only security but also economic cooperation in Afghanistan. However, he did stress how the Uzbek government is concerned about the increase in terrorism and extremism in Afghanistan (specifically the role of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP,) and how this will be taken into account when crafting Uzbekistan’s foreign policy towards Afghanistan.
He also highlighted that while the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in counter-terrorism is appreciable, more cooperative frameworks are required to effectively deal with the threat of terrorism. He concluded that while the Uzbeks don’t officially recognize the Taliban government, it has not prevent the two countries from maintaining cordial relations, multilateral engagement, and cooperation.
