The meeting of the International Contact Group on Afghanistan in Baku shows Azerbaijan’s important role in the region, US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice Wells said at a briefing in Baku on June 29.

This aspect once again shows the important geographical location of Azerbaijan and the fact that the country plays a very important role in the region, Wells added.

She expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his support in rendering assistance to Afghanistan.

Wells stressed that the importance of this meeting is that it was held immediately after the ceasefire regime established by Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and the US supported this decision.

She added that in his statement, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US expressed support for President Ghani's decision to extend the ceasefire regime with radical Taliban movement.

The meeting of the International Contact Group on Afghanistan was held in Baku on June 28.

The ICG is a platform for discussions on assistance to the development of Afghanistan and the region in which it is located. The ICG was established in 2009 bringing together 60 states and organizations, including Azerbaijan. Together with Afghanistan, Germany is a co-chair of the ICG.

Azerbaijan participates in a number of international and regional meetings on Afghanistan and contributes to the maintenance of peace, stability and development in this country.

The 7th ministerial conference entitled "Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process" was held on December 1, 2017 within the co-chairmanship of Azerbaijan and Afghanistan in Baku.

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