Afghan foreign minister Salahuddin Rabbani in a press conference with his Kyrgyz counterpart during his visit to Kyrgyzstan said, “I am confident that my visit will play an important role in strengthening relations and widening cooperation between I.R. Afghanistan & the Kyrgyz Republic”.
Rabbani added in the press conference that tomorrow, they will take part in the 3rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Contact Group on Afghanistan. This will be the first such meeting to be Co-Chaired by Afghanistan.
“The people of Afghanistan Central Asian are bound by a common geography, history and culture.On this basis, stability, security&prosperity in either one of our countries has direct impact on that of other countries”, Rabbani said.
He also appreciated the efforts of the “friendly and brotherly” government of the Kyrgyz Republic in regards to furthering stability, as well as strengthening security, economic and social progress in the Central Asian region as well as the humanitarian assistance provided by the Government of Kyrgyzstan to thr ethnic Kyrgyz communities of Afghanistan, who are living in mountainous areas in Pamir.
Rabbani further expressed gratitude towards Kyrgyzstan for providing scholarships to the citizens of Afghanistan by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the decision to increase these scholarships in the future.
“Upon achieving a successful outcome to our peace efforts, the Govt of the I.R of Afghanistan is committed to strengthen its role as a land-bridge and hub in the region, connecting South Asia, Central Asia and Europe.
Afghanistan has enormous potential for investment, and we are seeking to facilitate investment opportunities for the region, particularly Central Asian States” Rabbani conceded.
In an official setting, Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani prayed by the resting place of the Kyrgyz martyrs of 1916, 1937 and that of April 2010 Revolution and laid a wreath of flowers in the mausoleum of the reknown Kyrgyz writer and poet, Late Chinghiz Aitamatov.
