By Khalid Taimur Akram
On 11th July 2022, the UN General Assembly approved a special resolution on strengthening the regional connectivity between Central and South Asia. I believe this is the most important development vis-à-vis enhancing regional cooperation. The resolution also calls on all Member States to join efforts in combating common challenges and threats to stability and security in Central and South Asia.
This act is a clear manifestation and practical implementation of the proposals given by His Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during the high-level international conference ‘’Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities”, held in July 2021 in Tashkent.
The approval of the proposal after one year shows Uzbekistan’s motivation to integrate both regions. We highly appreciate the colossal efforts by the visionary leadership of Uzbekistan during this time. It is noteworthy that the resolution was not only unanimously supported by all UN member states but also adopted with the co-authorship of about 40 countries from different continents of the world, which testifies to the high recognition by the international community of the relevance and timeliness of the initiative of the head of Uzbekistan.
I believe that this act will pave the way for more opportunities in future for Central and South Asian countries to jointly established one integrated platform as proposed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Undoubtedly, this was made possible due to his successful conduct of statecraft and prudent policies for regional interconnectivity.
-The Author is Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF)
