Despite the tremendous developments that mankind has achieved in the 21st century and our comfortable lives, our world has become more fragile, and we are all not enjoying a good quality of life. We have entered an era that amongst other threats terrorism and use of violence against humans are expanding in different parts of our world. Our international policies have become more power centric than human-centric. Armed conflicts are greater in complexity taking into consideration the increased numbers of actors, the duration, the impact from the tactics and weapons, the high technology used and the international viral connectivity. More important, it is an era of prolonged, international armed conflicts and wars.Afghanistan, a country with a long history, sitting in the heart of Asia and between the East and the West, epitomizes some of the major challenges of our generation. Insecurity, under-development, poverty, are some of the many challenges we continue to grapple with. Prolonged armed conflicts have very broad impact: affecting health and sanitation, even access to basic services such as clean water and electricity. Our national infrastructure was completely destroyed even though continuous efforts have been made to reconstruct it and upgrade it. War and conflict have deprived Afghan children and young people from education for many decades. The public and the private sectors were affected resulting in a lack of employment, increase corruption and insecurity. The general situation of the Afghan people is described by timeless efforts to overpass human suffering, physical and psychological trauma. Nevertheless, Afghanistan is not the only country in our region suffering from conflict. Violence is dominating in other Asian countries, and it produces prolonged poverty, exclusion and chronic vulnerability of individuals and states because of conflict, terrorism, violence, and poverty.In light of this, we must ask ourselves if this crisis is far from over and if the Asian States should focus merely on what happens inside their borders alone? We should raise the question as to whether the cooperation between the Asian countries and the ways we choose to work together will serve our people in need.The concept and framework of “a community with a shared future” can offer us new hope in finding lasting solutions to these serious problems. In the modern era, no country can go it alone. We are indivisibly linked by a common destiny and future. The security and wealth of each individual, household, village, city, country, and region are now connected more than ever before.The concept of “a community with a shared future” challenges us to think differently and develop new tools for regional and global peace and development. In the security sphere, the concept is underpinned by a drive for mutual benefit rather than an approach where there are winners and losers. Constructive dialogue, respect, and consultation must be the basis to resolve conflict. The sovereignty of countries and their treatment as equals within the international geopolitical context – regardless of history, economic status or capacity – is the basis for effective regional engagement and action.The concept also reaffirms that human development and security are interlinked and must be tackled together. Regional economic imbalances, as well as inequality within countries, are two key issues that can better be addressed as a collective responsibility when we are driven by “our shared future.” How and where investments are made – and who they ultimately benefit – are of critical importance. Catalytic investments in poverty reduction, health, and education (especially girls’ education) should be the top of our shared agenda if we are to reap the benefits of our globalized world.What can the concept and framework mean for the country of Afghanistan?Sitting at the crossroads between East and West and Central and South Asia, Afghanistan has a rich cultural history. Afghanistan is one of China’s western neighbors and enjoys positive relationship built upon the principles of the “shared future” paradigm. The country faces significant challenges. It is emerging from decades of war which are a result of — among other things — geopolitical factors, especially during the Cold War. With approximately half of the population living under the poverty line there are indeed serious issues that need to be addressed. Peacebuilding and the pursuit of peace is the foundational stone required for development and poverty reduction in Afghanistan.In recent months hopes for peacebuilding in Afghanistan have increased, and after 18 years of devastating conflict for the first time the Taliban has started negotiations for peace. Five rounds of peace talks have already taken place, and regional and international support and consensus for peacebuilding have been almost reached. We Afghans are very optimistic that the year of 2019 would be a year of peacebuilding in Afghanistan. However, we believe that without the support of our international partners, particularly our regional partners and neighbors, in the peace process, it’s very difficult to build peace in Afghanistan and in the region. Peace and security in Afghanistan mean a peaceful region and a peaceful world. Insecurity in Afghanistan is a dangerous threat to the region and for the world. I believe that the concept of “building shared future for the mankind” is of a vital importance to Afghanistan and it’s the right time for our regional partners, particularly our Chinese friends, to turn this concept into practice and join hands with Afghans and our international partners to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan and to build a peaceful future for our region “South and Central Asia” and to make a good contribution for a better future of mankind.In preparing these remarks, I kept coming back to a simple question: what does the concept mean in the daily lives of Afghan women and men, girls, and boys?● What does it mean for an Afghan woman living in a remote village in the country’s interior who struggles to keep her children fed, clothed, and in school?● What does it mean for the urban business owner who struggles to get his or her products to regional markets?● What does it mean for a recent university graduate searching for a decent job in the Afghan job market that is already saturated?● What does this mean for an Afghan refugee family living in abroad, or a family internally displaced within Afghanistan because of the conflict?It seems to me that there are four main areas where meaning, benefit, and value rests:Firstly, improving human security through regional cooperation and stability. China has shown the world – in the words of President Xi Jinping – that “peace and stability is the only way to development and prosperity.” Peace and development are two sides of the same coin, and that we must work on both in unison. Afghanistan can learn lessons from other Asian countries about security transitions and effective post-conflict state-building and can benefit from increased regional support with brokering an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.Second, reaffirm the role of young people in shaping and achieving our “shared future.” Afghanistan has one of the youngest populations on this planet with approximately half of the population under 15 years of age. This demographic structure presents enormous opportunities to shape a peaceful, more equitable future pro-actively. We have the opportunity to shape the value systems of our children, underpinned by the sharing of rights and shouldering of obligations, and commitment to our common interests.Third, promoting economic development and creating livelihood opportunities for all. The Belt and Road initiative can help us achieve this goal. Afghanistan is strategically located along this corridor, from East to West. This strategic value to look beyond the national borders and connect to global markets is a lesson from China, one which Afghanistan is also implementing, despite being landlocked. Investment in infrastructure along this corridor is crucial to unlocking the potential of Afghan-led development and prosperity, which will benefit the entire region by accelerating economic growth.Fourth, mutual learning and exchange must continue to be integrated with our shared ongoing efforts. Our planet is so interconnected – socially, politically, culturally, and ecologically – and so we must understand each other better, and act together. We must preserve and respect the diversity of civilization as this is also a source of our connectedness to this earth, our histories, and to each other.Let’s return to the question: what does the concept mean in the daily lives of Afghan women and men, girls, and boys? By “building a community with a shared future for mankind” we can hope that the Afghan woman living in a remote village is lifted out of poverty; That the Afghan business owner can better get his goods to market through the new Silk Road; That quality job opportunities come to the recent university graduate through regional investment in the Afghanistan private sector; and that Afghan refugees and internally displaced people can finally return to their homes to live in peace after decades of conflict. Indeed, our future is shared, and we all have a responsibility to share the prosperity and opportunities that afford the planet today and in the future.The people-to-people ties are certainly the most productive and honest form of diplomacy which reinvents ways for peace and respect in the region. The people to people ties as part of the Belt and Road project have managed to promote the importance of diversifying development of cultural expressions of all nationalities, social groups, and individuals in Asian culture. The people to people project covers a wide range of issues of importance such as creative industry, tourism policy, cultural heritage conservation and protection of our cultural heritage and diversity policies. The countries participating are in the process of formulating action plans aiming at realizing a strong presence in the world. In this regard, we highly appreciate China’s initiative of organizing today’s forum with cultural policymakers, administrators, researchers, stakeholders, representatives from the private sector and managers to exchange views, perspectives, and experiences among Asian countries.The world most certainly wonders what my country might have offered to humanity through the ages. Maybe even the world is assertive that my country has offered nothing more than backward ideas, oppression for its people and lessons on international terrorism. But the hidden facts say otherwise. There were great poets and philosophers in the history of Afghanistan, such as Some notable poets include Hakim Naser Khusrow Balkhi, Khushal Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba, Massoud Nawabi, Nazo Tokhi, Ahmad Shah Durrani, and Ghulam Muhammad Tarzi. Rumi, Rabi’a Balkhi, Farrukhi Sistani, Unsuri, and Anvari. But it is not only a glorious and faraway past that fills us with pride for our contribution to humanity. It is the present, the history in progress which proves that as country we struggle not only for the sake of our own citizens but also for the rest of the world. We fight to bring back democracy because the new generations deserve a bright future.Since 2002 Afghanistan has been one of the active member states of regional economic cooperation in our region. Regional cooperation is an important pillar of our foreign policy and an important component of our development strategy in Afghanistan. Our vision, in this context, is to restore Afghanistan’s historical role as a land-bridge and a convergence point between Central Asia, South Asia, China, the Middle East, and Europe, in order to achieve greater regional cooperation and integration for the benefit of peace and prosperity in the wider region. With a new wave of regional cooperation efforts centered on Afghanistan, leading to the formation of two prominent Afghanistan-focused regional cooperation frameworks, namely the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) and the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process.By creating synergy among initiatives of neighboring and regional countries and building increased connectivity in energy and transport terms, not to mention augmenting digital connectivity, Afghanistan and its regional partners are forging ahead with broad-based progress that translates into community progress for average people and their families. When exports and trade increase, jobs are created, income is generated, poverty is reduced, and communities get on more solid, sustainable paths of development. Headway in regional and international economic relations translate into improving personal livelihoods and social advancement of the Afghan people in small towns and rural areas, as well as city-based urban environments, and will, therefore, contribute significantly to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).A major contributor to this new era of change across the region involves the emergence of new transport and transit corridors including the Lapis Lazuli Route, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Chabahar Corridor. Similarly, considerable progress has been made on the two largest cross-border infrastructure projects, the TAPI natural gas pipeline and the CASA 1000 electricity transmission line. Other major projects such as the Five Nations Railway Corridor, an increasing number of air cargo corridors between Afghanistan and major destinations in the region and beyond have also been operationalized this year. This economic progress dovetails with a newfound regional and global momentum in support of peace, stability, and development in Afghanistan.Due to the reasons mentioned above, we must scale up our response to the existing needs of our region and should put together a more relevant reaction to the events. Only together we can achieve stronger cooperations, tailored to our realities. We ought to respect and consider each other’s special context, and we should enhance each other’s competences and skills that will pave the way to shaping a strong and fully developed continent. Our strategy should be pragmatic based on visionary development which is not pitted against humanism. What should dominate our political and economic agendas should be our contribution to the well-being of all human beings.