Editor's Note.

Two important events were held this December in the region where leaders of the Muslim countries sat down together to deliberate the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan apart from discussion on dealing with other regional and international challenges and opportunities. First was the 15th Heads of State Summit of Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) hosted by Turkmenistan in the capital city of Ashgabat, Heads of States of all member countries were present on the occasion and discussed issues among others was the Afghanistan crisis. This ongoing serious humanitarian crisis is creating challenges for the global community to gather support as the Taliban government is still not recognized by anyone across the globe. Pakistan is currently hosting nearly 3.5 million Afghan refugees as these are an additional burden on Pakistan's stumbling economy.

Without the help of the international community in these circumstances, Afghan people cannot pass through these difficult tests. ECO has established a forum where regional cooperation on economic and trade to be enhanced. Afghanistan is a regional knot that needs a serious attention to open its potential for regional prosperity. With 500 million population, third of the world energy resources established by Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan in 1985, ECO has a huge potential to connect Europe with China, Russia, Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. During the meeting it was urged to increase the trade potential amongst the countries till $100 billion. The trade agreement of ECOTA should be put into action that are included in the vision 2025 document.

Currently there are efforts ongoing for the putting the electricity line along with the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, as well as on a railway track from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan and a Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline. Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey corridor, Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey corridor that starts from Afghanistan, Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman transportation corridor, then pipelines and all of these corridors will boost trade. Second important meeting was an extraordinary session of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) was held in Islamabad where senior officials including foreign ministers from the block of 57 member countries participated to focus on the brewing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. UN Security...