Turkish FM urges cooperation in area around Afghanistan

Turkey's foreign minister Sunday urged "regional cooperation and solidarity" in the region centered on Afghanistan.

Addressing the sixth Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process in Amristar, India, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said: "It has been five years since we initiated the process together with Afghanistan."

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, founded in 2011 in Turkey, intends "to address the shared challenges and interests of Afghanistan and its neighbors and regional partners," recognizing that "a secure and stable Afghanistan is vital to the prosperity of the Heart of Asia region," according to its website.

Behind the process, said Çavuşoğlu, "the idea was that regional problems require regional cooperation and solitary."

Saying that Afghanistan is making progress on security and development, he added: "Today, millions of Afghans have access to education, health, and other social services."

"However, there is still much to do," Çavuşoğlu said.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process has 14 participating countries, 17 supporting countries and 12 supporting regional and international organizations, according to its website.

Afghanistan is the permanent chair of the platform, and this year India holds the co-chair position and hosts the event, attended by representatives from Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the United Arab Emirates.