Central Asian leaders sounded the alarm over the spiral of war in neighbouring Afghanistan at a summit in Turkmenistan Friday, as U.S.-led forces withdraw from the country and the Taliban advances.
The talks in the resort town of Avaza on the Caspian Sea came after the militant group made sweeping gains in provinces near Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — the three ex-Soviet countries bordering Afghanistan. After weeks of a blistering offensive through the countryside, the Taliban is now challenging Afghan government forces in several large cities.
In a joint declaration, the five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — pledged to “provide all possible assistance” towards achieving peace in Afghanistan.
The Taliban has established official contacts with both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Its charm offensive has included guarantees to support and secure regional economic projects, including a planned multi-billion dollar energy pipeline that would connect Turkmenistan’s giant gas reserves to markets in India and Pakistan through Afghanistan.
