The situation in Afghanistan A/RES/69/18 implementation of those provisions, and welcomes the reaffirmation, in the Kabul Conference communiqué, of the principles set out in the Declaration; 76. Welcomes and encourages further efforts by the Government of Afghanistan and its neighbouring partners to foster trust and cooperation with each other, and looks forward, where appropriate, to increasing cooperation between Afghanistan, all its neighbouring and regional partners and regional organizations against the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other extremist and criminal groups and illegal armed groups and in promoting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan, in the region and beyond; 77. Welcomes the ongoing efforts of the Government of Afghanistan, its neighbouring and regional partners and international organizations, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to foster trust and cooperation with each other, as well as recent cooperation initiatives developed by the countries concerned and by regional organizations, including the trilateral summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey, the trilateral summit of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan and the trilateral summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United Kingdom; 78. Reaffirms support to the ongoing Afghan-led regional effort within the framework of the Istanbul Process on Regional Security and Cooperation for a Secure and Stable Afghanistan,4 welcomes the outcomes of the Heart of Asia Ministerial Conferences held in Kabul in 2012, in Almaty in 2013 and most recently in Beijing in 2014, as follow-up to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in the Heart of Asia, held in Istanbul in 2011, and the Istanbul Process Senior Officials Meeting held in New York on 23 September 2013, welcomes the adoption of the implementation plans of all six confidence-building measures in the areas of disaster management, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, regional infrastructure, and trade, commerce and investment opportunities as well as education, prioritized for implementation, commends the progress of the Istanbul Process since its inception, looks forward to the fifth Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference, to be held in Pakistan in 2015, notes with appreciation efforts to enhance regional dialogue and confidence through the Istanbul Process, and recalls that the Istanbul Process is intended to complement and cooperate with, and not substitute for, existing efforts of regional organizations, particularly where they relate to Afghanistan; 79. Expresses its appreciation for all efforts to increase regional economic cooperation aimed at promoting economic cooperation between Afghanistan, regional neighbours, international partners and financial institutions, and recognizes, inter alia, the important role of the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, the Delhi Investment Summit on Afghanistan and its recommendations for promoting foreign investment and private sector development and partnerships of Afghanistan, the Economic Cooperation Organization, the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Programme and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in promoting the development of Afghanistan; 80. Welcomes the decision of the States members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to grant Afghanistan observer status in the Organization; 81. Welcomes and urges further efforts to strengthen the process of regional economic cooperation, including measures to facilitate regional trade and transit, including through regional and bilateral transit trade agreements, expanded consular visa cooperation and facilitation of business travel, to expand trade, to increase 17/21