CENTRAL AND SOUTH ASIA: A COMMON TRADE, ECONOMIC, HISTORICAL, CULTURAL AND CIVILIZATIONAL SPACE

The main goal of the Termez Dialogue is to strengthen the interconnectedness between the regions of Central and South Asia. This format is aimed at discussing topical issues, such as strengthening cooperation between Central and South Asia in ensuring security, stability and sustainable development, expanding the role of the private sector

and financial institutions in deepening interregional interconnectedness

and ensuring economic growth. In the context of the observed crises in the modern international system, characterized by the growth of traditional and non-traditional threats to peace and security, deepening interregional ties, strengthening interstate political trust and developing joint cooperation in countering common challenges are tasks that are equally relevant for all countries of the two regions. Therefore, the Termez Dialogue is of particular importance and relevance for Central and South Asia.

The great philosopher and historian Ibn Khaldun once said: "Geography is destiny." Centuries have passed, but these words have not lost their significance and relevance. By the will of history and due to its geographical location, Uzbekistan was deprived of direct access to world sea routes. It is obvious that the nearest sea routes pass through the territory of its southern neighbor - Afghanistan, which has been engulfed in wars and conflicts for many years.

During the time of our great ancestor Zakhiriddin Babur and his descendants, 13 trade caravans passed along the southern routes. Restoring historical ties with the Indian subcontinent, developing trade and economic cooperation, and creating new transport corridors are among the priority areas of the foreign policy strategy of modern Uzbekistan.

As the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted:

“Today, the world has entered an era of global geopolitical transformations that bring both challenges and new opportunities. In these conditions, the revival of mutual ties between Central and South Asia, where about two billion people live today, is becoming an even more relevant and objective process. I think that the time has come, based on the enormous historical, scientific, spiritual and cultural heritage of our peoples, the complementarity of economies, the presence of intellectual potential, to consolidate our joint efforts, which will undoubtedly produce a powerful synergy effect. We realize that interconnectedness, cooperation, dialogue and, most importantly, trust are the driving force for ensuring stability and sustainable development, improving the standard of living and well-being of the peoples of our regions. This approach is the call of the times.” Afghanistan is an interregional transport bridge connecting Central Asia with South Asia, the Near and Far East. The closest sea ports to the Central Asian region pass through Afghanistan. In this context, the launch of the Trans-Afghan Transport Corridor is of strategic importance for Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan's access to sea ports through Afghanistan is 2-3 times shorter than through the ports of the Black and Baltic Seas, and 5 times shorter than the routes to the ports of the Pacific Ocean. According to analytical data, 60% of all international transport in Uzbekistan passes through transit routes through the countries of Central Asia and Afghanistan. In terms of shares of transit routes: 69% goes to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, 21% to Tajikistan, 6% to Kyrgyzstan and 4% to Afghanistan. In the future, Uzbekistan is capable of creating favorable conditions and opportunities for the entry of Central Asian countries to international markets through Afghanistan. In this regard, the opening of the international Trans-Afghan Corridor will serve as a basis for expanding the interregional trade dialogue. In particular, Uzbekistan will gain access to world markets through the ports of Iran, Pakistan and India, which will open up new opportunities for realizing the enormous transit potential of the entire region.

Today, Uzbekistan provides significant support for the economic recovery of Afghanistan.

It was Uzbekistan that went down in history as the country that built the first railway in Afghanistan - the Hairaton - Mazar-i-Sharif line, which was commissioned in 2010. This railway was put into operation ahead of schedule - in 11 months. Since its launch, over 20 million tons of cargo have been transported along this route, of which about 5.5 million tons were export goods from Uzbekistan.

According to the Asian Development Bank, thanks to the construction of this railway in Afghanistan, 1,200 permanent jobs were created, the employment rate in the regions where the project is implemented increased by more than 10%, and more than 7 m million people gained access to rail services. In addition, cargo delivery times were halved, and trade between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan increased from

$520 million in 2008 to over $1 billion in 2012. Over the same period, Afghanistan's total foreign trade increased from $3.5 billion in 2008 to $6.8 billion.

According to experts, Hairatan is Afghanistan's main land and river port, handling about 50% of the country's imports. Today, this railway remains the main route linking Uzbekistan with Afghanistan and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian supplies. In this context, the city of Termez is of particular importance. One of the issues that will be discussed during the Termez Dialogue will be deepening cooperation in implementing the initiative to build the Termez-Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway (Kabul Corridor), which is an extension of the Hairatan-Mazar-i-Sharif line and is considered one of the key projects of the Trans-Afghan Transport Corridor.

To date, the route of the Kabul Corridor railway in the direction of Termez-Naibabad-Logar-Kharlachi has been formed, and a roadmap has been developed for coordinating the project between Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Experts assess this railway as the "project of the century" and the "gateway" to the sea routes of South Asia. Indeed, the successful implementation of this project will open up opportunities comparable to historical proportions.

Nevertheless, it is no secret that the project faces a number of obstacles. Thus, according to data for 2024, the trade turnover between the two regions barely exceeds 5 billion dollars. Obviously, this figure does not reflect the full potential and real possibilities of the two regions. In this regard, it is important to emphasize the following aspects of the importance of the Kabul Corridor:

Firstly, the corridor will help solve a number of socio-economic and will also help eliminate the social base of destructive phenomena, such as terrorism and drug trafficking. If you look closely at the project, it becomes obvious that it will not only connect the central cities and provinces of Afghanistan, but will also give a powerful impetus to the development of the country's production and industrial infrastructure, which is currently in decline. The project will help reduce unemployment (creation of up to 500 thousand jobs), combat poverty, and eliminate electricity shortages. In addition, the construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif - Torkham highway will accelerate the completion of the Kabul Ring Road project.

Secondly, this railway will take an important place not only in the development of regional, but also international economic and political ties. According to experts, the Kabul Corridor will facilitate the expansion of trade, growth of exports and imports between Europe, Central Asia, Pakistan, India and the countries of Southeast Asia. In the context of a slowdown in global economic growth, the implementation of this project will not only be a catalyst for regional development, but also a new source of incentives for global economic growth.

Thirdly, the project will connect all member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) through the territory of Afghanistan. Geographically, this will provide Russia and Central Asia with access to the markets of India and Pakistan, and India and Pakistan with access to the markets of Central Asia, Russia and Europe.

Fourthly, the corridor will open up opportunities for Uzbekistan to gain access to the nearest seaports. The commissioning of this railway will facilitate the diversification of trade and economic ties, transport and logistics ties, and will help to break out of transport isolation.

Obviously, the Termez Dialogue will become the necessary platform for discussing and resolving a number of problems standing in the way of implementing the Trans-Afghan Transport Corridor projects aimed at South Asia. The Termez Dialogue with the participation of political, economic and business circles creates conditions for a comprehensive discussion of trade, economic, investment, transport, logistics and energy projects, as well as for facilitating their financing. If we look at history, Termez has long been a crossroads of cultures, uniting various peoples, ethnic groups, languages ​​and religions. This city has been recognized as the center of Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and other faiths. Archaeological finds in the vicinity of Termez, in particular the ancient city of Dalverzintepa, indicate that this territory was the cradle of various peoples and cultures. According to scientists, the first capital of the Kushan Kingdom was located on the site of Dalverzintepa. The city's archaeological monuments, especially the jewelry found in the Dalverzintepa treasury, clearly demonstrate the high level of cultural and economic ties between the peoples who inhabited the ancient territories of Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Middle East. ana and India.

In addition, the city of Termez is the birthplace of outstanding Islamic scholars and thinkers who made a significant contribution to the development of world science and culture, such as Hakim Termizi, Iso Termizi, Sobir Termizi and other universal thinkers. It can be said without exaggeration that today there is a real opportunity to turn Termez into a space that unites various historical civilizations.

Today's cooperation of the Central Asian states, their good-neighborliness policy and, most importantly, the atmosphere of mutual trust can rightfully serve as a model for other regions of the world. Indeed, initiated with the aim of restoring historically established and actively developing political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties with the South Asian region, the Termez Dialogue is intended not only to bring together two common historical, cultural and civilizational spaces, but also to give a powerful impetus to the development of new approaches to ensuring stability and peaceful development in Afghanistan. Moreover, in the context of increasing geopolitical competition and armed conflicts observed in various regions of the world, the Termez Dialogue creates significant opportunities for developing responses through preventive diplomacy and constructive dialogue to such acute challenges of our time as unpredictable security threats, economic crises, environmental risks and clashes of civilizations.

The essence of Uzbekistan's strategic approach to foreign policy lies precisely in restoring historical ties between the peoples of the two regions, strengthening interconnectedness and ensuring Central Asia's access to new markets. This initiative not only fully meets the interests of all the peoples of the region, but also makes a significant contribution to the implementation of the special UN resolution "On developing connectivity between Central and South Asia" adopted by the international community.

In general, the regions of Central and South Asia are on the threshold of a historic turning point. The Termez Dialogue, acting as a platform for strengthening interregional interconnectedness, simultaneously opens up new prospects for restoring common historical, cultural and civilizational ties, as well as for developing international transport and logistics corridors through the territory of Afghanistan.

In the context of the growing crisis of diplomacy and trust in the modern world, initiatives like the Termez Dialogue are acquiring exceptional importance and relevance. After all, the development of regions should not be based on conflicts and rivalry, but on mutual understanding, dialogue and close cooperation - and this is a truth that does not require proof.

Sukhrob Buronov

Associate Professor of the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies,

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science