Central Asia: A New Stage of Cooperation

The VII Council meeting of the Central Asian countries' leaders was one of the significant events. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

At the meeting, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, presented a number of urgent initiatives. The inclusion of the Republic of Azerbaijan as a new participant was supported by the heads of state.

President Mirziyoyev called this step a new stage of regional cooperation and emphasized the importance of forming a unified cooperation space between Central Asia and the South Caucasus. In his speech, the head of state outlined several priority areas for the development of the region.

Firstly, he spoke about a new phase of regional integration, noting that the Central Asian countries have moved from advisory dialogue to practical cooperation. The trade volume reaching 10.7 billion dollars and investments increasing by 17 percent indicate the results of this process.

Secondly, the issue of strengthening institutional architecture was raised. The President proposed creating the strategic platform "Central Asian Community," establishing a Secretariat, forming a Council of Elders, and enhancing the status of national coordinators.

Thirdly, special attention was paid to deepening economic cooperation. Proposals were put forward to adopt a regional program for trade and economic cooperation, create a unified investment space, and develop e-commerce.

Fourthly, infrastructure and transport issues were discussed. In particular, the necessity of jointly implementing the "China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan" railway and other major projects was noted.

Fifthly, security and issues related to Afghanistan were considered. The President emphasized the importance of Afghanistan joining regional energy and transport projects and proposed turning the "Fergana Peace Forum" into an international conference.

Sixthly, attention was given to climate and water issues, with a proposal to declare 2026-2036 as the "Decade of Practical Actions for Rational Water Use in Central Asia." Seventhly, matters of developing cooperation in the humanitarian field were discussed.

Proposals were made to hold an annual International Congress dedicated to spiritual heritage and to establish a regional scientific research fund. The President concluded his speech with the following words: “Our strength is in unity, our path to success is through friendship and cooperation.”

Additionally, Uzbekistan congratulated Turkmenistan on accepting the chairmanship of the meeting in the new format and expressed its readiness to fully support its efforts.