Upon the invitation of Ambassador Michael Steiner, the Chairman of the International Contact Group on Afghanistan, Special Representative of Germany for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Halil Akinci, Secretary General of Turkic Council attended the 12th Session of ICG held on 15th November 2011 in Astana. More than 140 representatives from 39 countries and international organizations came together at the Astana meeting.
The situation and achievements of international community over the past 10 years of assistance on reconstruction of Afghanistan, the common points and tasks before the international conference in Bonn and perspectives on the future of country were among the main issues raised at the meeting. In that respect the participants paid a special emphasis on the outcome of the recent Istanbul Conference. Besides the security aspects, the issues of economic recovery of Afghanistan were outlined as important tasks ahead.
At the same day the Secretary General hosted a working dinner for the heads of delegations from Turkic Council’s member states who participated in the Conference.
During the dinner the participants discussed and updated each other on their own ongoing and planned activities on Afghanistan and also the role of the regional countries, the challenges and threats as well as the cooperation base on Afghanistan. The Secretary General proposed to elaborate the mutual interests of each member states and present it together at the next meeting. According to him the voice expressed together by region’s states will be more effective than made by one.
The International Contact Group on Afghanistan was established in 2009 at the initiative of the Special Representative of the United States for Afghanistan and Pakistan the late Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. The ICG includes delegates from approximately 50 countries and international organizations, including some 15 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Eleven meetings have been held prior to the Astana session in Munich, Tokyo, Istanbul (twice), Trieste, Paris, New York, Abu Dhabi, Madrid, Rome, Jeddah, and Kabul.
