Central, South Asia can benefit from opportunities if the region is at peace: UN chief

The countries of Central and South Asia can only fully benefit from potential opportunities if the region at large is at peace, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said, underlining that the promise of connectivity itself should become a “counterbalance” to the threat of further deterioration in war-torn Afghanistan. It drives regional cooperation and encourages friendly relations among neighbours, near and far,” Mr. Guterres said in a video message to the high-level International Conference on Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent on July 16. He said the countries of Central and South Asia can only fully benefit from potential opportunities if the region at large is at peace. “This places an even higher premium on the importance of active and collective engagement in support of Afghanistan’s peace and security.” Mr. Guterres called on the nations to work together to “ensure that the potential dividends of peace are well understood by all so that the promise of connectivity itself becomes a counterbalance to the threat of further deterioration in Afghanistan.” He stressed that the conference is an important step in that direction and the UN stands ready to support “your efforts to strengthen interconnectedness in the region for the benefit of all.” His comments came as clashes between the Afghan government forces and the Taliban intensified since U.S. troops began to withdraw from the country, ending nearly two decades of its military presence in the war-ravaged country.