Afghan media reports say Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has welcomed Uzbekistan’s willingness for hosting talks on Afghan peace.

According to TOLONews, President Ashraf Ghani met the visiting Uzbek delegation, led by Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, on March 31.

The two sides reportedly discussed the peace process, regional connectivity, infrastructure projects and economic ties between the two countries.

According to  statement released by Afghanistan’s Presidential Palace, Kamilov noted during the meeting that relations Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are better than ever.

He added that implementation of joint infrastructural projects between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan would promoted further expansion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. 

The Uzbek delegation announced their support for the Afghan government’s efforts, particularly an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

“Uzbekistan is ready to host the talks if Taliban movement is ready to directly talk with the Afghan government,” the Uzbek foreign minister was quoted as saying.

For his part, President Ghani reportedly appreciated Uzbekistan’s role in Afghanistan, especially in the implementation of economic and infrastructural projects agreed between the two countries during his visit to Samarkand in December 2017.

The agreements were signed during Ghani’s visit to Uzbekistan include a bilateral cooperation agreement and 20 other agreements in different areas including economic, transit, security, electricity, agriculture, health, and higher education.

Ghani said the main focus is on boosting joint cooperation in the region and that this will create stability in the region.

He welcomed Uzbekistan’s willingness for hosting peace talks and said that Samarkand is a joint cultural heritage of the two countries.

According to Presidential Palace, Afghan and Uzbek officials will sign cooperation agreements on mining, textile, information exchange on customs and security.

On Monday, Abdulaziz Kamilov reportedly met Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah.  Abdullah’s office reportedly said in a statement that Afghanistan strongly values the expansion of trade relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

Abdullah said that Afghanistan and Uzbekistan are bound by an historic relationship and said that the two countries are ready to cooperate over strengthening ties and working for regional peace and stability.

Kamilov said that  peace in Afghanistan is in the interests of the entire region.

The two sides also exchanged views on the peace process, efforts by regional countries towards peace and on infrastructure development.