Central Asian Contact Group meets in Astana to discuss Afghanistan

ASTANA: Central Asian countries are meeting today, in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan for a session of the regional Contact Group on Afghanistan. The meeting will review the current situation in Afghanistan and explore regional cooperation with Kabul. It remains unclear whether representatives from the Taliban government will attend. The first regional Contact Group meeting on Afghanistan took place in Kabul in Dalwa 1402, bringing together representatives from neighboring and regional countries. The group aims to provide an independent platform for regular dialogue on issues of shared concern in the region. Over the past four years, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have strengthened political and trade relations with the Taliban government. Afghan-Uzbek trade reached approximately $1.6 billion in 2025, while trade with Kazakhstan totaled around $338 million. Relations with Tajikistan, however, remain tense due to border disputes; in the latest clash on 9 Dalwa, three armed individuals were killed.