International Conference on Central & South Asia: Regional Connectivity, Challenges & Opportunities at Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), Islamabad addressed the conference and discussed “Regional Peace and Security in South and Central Asia”

The International Conference on Central & South Asia: Regional Connectivity, Challenges & Opportunities commenced today at Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The conference is being attended by 250 participants and 40 delegates from different countries.
The two-day conference will be attended by the President of Afghanistan and executive delegations from all Central and South Asian states, the EU, the US, and China. Topics of discussion will include regional security, economic integration, and culture; special emphasis will be placed on the future of Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan along with various ministers is also in Uzbekistan on a two-day official visit. While addressing the conference PM Imran Khan stated that Pakistan’s strong trade relations with Uzbekistan, which is a big country in Central Asia, would be a win-win for the two countries.
From Pakistan, Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery HI(M), (Retd), President PRCCSF addressed the conference in the second session and discussed “Establishing Regional Connectivity through Cultural Cooperation: Opportunities in the Contemporary Arena”
Session 3 of the conference was chaired by Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation. Speakers in the session included,
• Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), Islamabad, Pakistan • Arvind Gupta, Director of the International Vivekananda Foundation
• Fedor Voitolovksy, Director of the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Sun Zhuangzhi, Director of the Institute of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (IREECA) at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
• John Herbst, Director of the Center for Eurasian Studies, Atlantic Council of the United States
• Stefan Mair, Director, Stiftung Wissenschaft and Politik, German Institute for International and Security Affairs
• Thomas Nicholson, EU Special Representatives for Afghanistan
From Pakistan, Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive, Director, PRCCSF addressed the conference and discussed Regional Peace and Security in South & Central Asia.
He stated that His Excellency, Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev has played a dynamic role in the socio-economic reconstruction of Afghanistan and regional security stability. He further mentioned that the remarkable efforts and visions of integration by the current Uzbek leadership has led to inclusive socio-economic progress in the region and beyond.
Discussing Pakistan’s perspective on the Afghanistan issue, Mr. Khalid Taimur emphasized that Pakistan has greatly suffered during the war on terror and it has still effectively dealt with its repercussions and impacts. The immense contribution of Pakistan towards regional peace can also not be overlooked. We have supported peace in Afghanistan and will continue to do so.