Six plus Two Group on Afghanistan

The Six plus Two Group on Afghanistan (also known as 6 plus 2 Contact Group or "6 plus 2") describes an informal coalition of the six nations bordering with Afghanistan (China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), plus the United States and Russia, which functioned from 1997 to 2001 under the aegis of the United Nations. The coalition worked to find a peaceful solution that would have included the participation of the Afghan Northern Alliance. Later it explored the issue of a post-Taliban government for Afghanistan.

Target country

Neighbouring countries (6)

plus 2

This diplomatic initiative was proposed by Islam Karimov, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, keeping in mind that the conflict in Afghanistan cannot be resolved by use of force and a peaceful political dialogue is needed. The idea was first discussed during meeting of Islam Karimov with UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi in August 1997. It was underlined that the peaceful settlement of the conflict would not be achieved without involvement of neighbouring states.

The objective of the Group was to find a solution to the Afghan problem, to assist in the establishment of a broadly representative and multi-ethnic Afghan government.

Within the framework of the 6+2 initiative a number of important meetings and conferences were held in the UN Headquarters in New York, in the Uzbek capital Tashkent and other venues.

On 19 July 1999, the Group adopted the so-called Tashkent Declaration ("On Fundamental Principles for a Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict in Afghanistan"). In the declaration, the parties agreed not to provide military support to any Afghan party and to prevent the use of their territories for such purposes. Just a week following the adoption of the Declaration, the Taliban launched a military offensive, which was condemned in a UN Security Council statement.

...
Wikipedia