Uzbekistan

Tashkent has assisted Western countries in evacuating some Afghans, but Uzbekistan can and should do more. 

Both countries have been willing to take some Afghan refugees in, but only temporarily. 

Presidential meetings in Central Asia are often dismissed for a lack of concrete results and for their exclusively ceremonial character. But there are good reasons to take the latest meeting seriously.

The Central Asian republics can learn from the experience of Southeast Asia and use the crisis in Afghanistan to spur forward regional cooperation at a time of great power competition. 

Focusing on trade networks, Afghanistan’s neighbors hope to forge regional stability in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal.

Following summits in 2018 and 2019, the 2021 meeting comes amid a great number of regional difficulties and concerns.

Moscow is also reported to be open to some kind of cooperation with the U.S., though far short of American bases in Central Asia.

As the U.S. looks to station over-the-horizon capabilities to address issues in Afghanistan, Central Asia is an obvious locale.

Jahongir Otajonov, picked by the banned Erk party as its presidential candidate, has reportedly quit the race.

For Central Asia, a green, resilient, and inclusive recovery opens great opportunities for prosperity.

The Truth and Progress party, after being rejected in April, re-applied but was again rejected by the Ministry of Justice.