Today in Astana the sixth consultative meeting of Central Asian leaders was held under the chairmanship of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Cooperation among Central Asian countries has reached an unprecedented level. Collective efforts are being made to address key issues related to borders, water supply, and migration. Also, measures are being taken to ensure regional stability and security, remove trade barriers and expand transportation links. All of this is the result of regular consultative meetings at the level of heads of state of the region, the Kazakh President emphasized.
«It can be confidently said that over the past years, the consultative meetings have evolved into an effective platform, demonstrating the international subjectivity and unity of the region, as well as our readiness to jointly respond to contemporary challenges. Central Asia has always been a center of attraction for unique civilizations, playing a significant role in global progress. Today, based on this historical community and the mental closeness of our peoples, we are together forming a new image of Central Asia as a region of vast opportunities, looking toward the future,» said President Tokayev.
Now, it is crucial to maintain the high dynamics of cooperation. Central Asia should remain a space of security, collaboration, and prosperity. According to the Head of State, another important task is the creation of a strong economic foundation. There are already tangible results in this area. Thus, the volume of intraregional trade has reached $11 billion. The next goal is to bring it to $15 billion.
«New growth points for the economies of our countries could be large-scale joint infrastructure and transportation projects. There are already good examples of such mutually beneficial cooperation in the region. These include the Kambarata HPP-1 in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Rogun HPP in Tajikistan, gas projects in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, the construction of new transport corridors, and several other significant projects. A priority is the development of a network of industrial, trade and logistics hubs in border areas,» added the Kazakh leader.
The Head of State also emphasized the need for developing a new consolidated water policy in the region. To this end, a water-energy consortium may be established. It is noteworthy that following the meeting of Central Asian leaders, a number of documents were signed, including a concept for the Development of Regional Cooperation «Central Asia-2040» and a Roadmap for the development of regional cooperation until 2027.
