Mirziyoyev puts forward a series of initiatives at the summit

On 16 November, the seventh Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State was held under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. This was reported by the press service of the President of Uzbekistan.

The summit was attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, as well as Kaha Imnadze, head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

In line with the agenda, participants discussed strengthening regional cooperation and implementing joint projects and initiatives in priority areas.

At the beginning of the summit, President Mirziyoyev announced that Azerbaijan had joined the Consultative Meetings format as a full-fledged member. According to the Uzbek leader, this decision fully aligns with the interests of the peoples of participating countries, which are united by a shared history, fraternal ties, and deep spiritual and cultural affinity.

It was also noted that this strategic step would give new momentum to the Consultative Meetings, open new horizons for expanding trade, economic, investment, and cultural-humanitarian cooperation, and encourage joint decision-making on sustainable development issues.

“We are building a strong bridge between Central Asia and the South Caucasus, paving the way for the formation of a unified cooperation space. There is no doubt that this will strengthen the strategic interconnection and stability of both regions,” President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The President of Uzbekistan then briefly reviewed the integration processes taking place in the region in recent years. He noted that open dialogue and joint efforts had enabled the countries to find effective solutions to many pressing regional issues.

It was stated that longstanding regional issues had been resolved, border checkpoints had been opened, mutually beneficial cooperation in the water and energy sectors had been established, transport links had been restored, and favourable conditions had been created for active trade, investment, and humanitarian exchanges.

“Today, Central Asia is a space of dynamic development and effective cooperation, opening new opportunities for stable growth and prosperity,” Mirziyoyev said.

According to the presidential press service, the region is becoming increasingly integrated into the global economy: investment attractiveness is rising, opportunities for exporting to third markets are expanding, and transit potential is growing. Last year, mutual trade between the region’s countries reached 10.7 billion dollars, while total investment inflows into Central Asia increased by 17 percent.

Systematic measures are being taken to ensure security and stability, and to combat terrorism, extremism, and transnational crime.

The region’s role as a subject of international relations continues to strengthen, its influence on global issues is expanding, the “Central Asia Plus” cooperation formats are being enhanced, and the region is increasingly presenting unified positions in major international forums.

With Azerbaijan’s accession to the format, it is expected that the region’s voice within the global community will become even stronger.

It was noted that more than 20 major events had been held during Uzbekistan’s chairmanship. A Forum of Interregional Cooperation at the level of deputy prime ministers was launched, and for the first time, meetings of defence ministries, security services, as well as the ministers of geology, industry, agriculture, ecology and culture were convened. Yesterday, a meeting of leading women of Central Asian countries was successfully held in Tashkent.

These events were said to clearly demonstrate that the institutional foundations and mechanisms of regional partnership are being systematically strengthened.

Mirziyoyev stressed that in an environment of complex and unpredictable global political dynamics, it is especially important to reinforce unity and mutual support among the countries of the region.

“I am confident that today we stand on the threshold of a historic revival of our region as the New Central Asia. We have set ourselves the task of further strengthening the institutional foundations of our cooperation and developing coordinated responses to threats against security and sustainable development. It is important for us to already have a clear vision of how we want to see our region in 10 to 20 years,” the President said.

To begin with, it was proposed to transform the current meetings from a consultative dialogue format into a strategic format called the Central Asian Community. It was noted that drafting a regulation on Consultative Meetings, establishing a rotating Secretariat, and elevating the status of national coordinators to special representatives of the Presidents could serve as initial steps toward this goal.

The President of Uzbekistan also proposed creating a Council of Elders composed of respected public figures with rich life experience. According to him, this body would help strengthen intergenerational continuity as well as regional unity and identity.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed that enhancing trade, economic and investment cooperation remains a key priority, as this would allow mutual trade and overall external turnover to increase by 1.5 to 2 times in the medium term.

He underscored the importance of removing administrative barriers, simplifying tax and customs procedures, and jointly using free economic and industrial zones.

“In our view, drafting and adopting a comprehensive regional programme for trade and economic cooperation up to 2035, which covers all the issues mentioned above, would create a favourable environment for significantly increasing trade volumes,” the President said.

Furthermore, the need to adopt a Declaration on a Common Investment Space to shape a unified investment environment in the region was emphasised. The President highlighted the importance of harmonising approaches in this sector and developing a Joint Action Programme on the Development of E-Commerce aimed at creating virtual trade platforms and reliable digital payment systems.

The importance of jointly developing the region’s high-tech infrastructure and transport-logistics potential for the future was also stressed.

“We propose uniting our efforts to implement strategic region-wide projects on the construction and modernisation of power plants and transmission networks, motor and railways, border crossings, green corridors, fibre-optic lines and other facilities,” the President said.

The construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway and the Trans-Afghan transport corridor was identified as priority projects for interregional connectivity. Attention was drawn to the significant potential of Trans-Caspian routes linking the region with European countries.

To coordinate work in these areas, it was proposed to establish a Council for Infrastructure Development at the level of deputy prime ministers.

From the perspective of ensuring regional security and stability, the documents adopted at the summit – the Concept of Regional Security and Stability and the Catalogue of Threats and Risks – were positively assessed.

Given the impact of the situation in Afghanistan on regional security and its importance for sustainable development, the President stressed that integrating this country into regional infrastructure, energy and transport projects is essential.

The President stated that the recently held Fergana Peace Forum should be turned into a regular international gathering.

He noted that environmental, climate and water scarcity issues are becoming increasingly pressing for the countries of the region, making it vital to adopt the Central Asia Green Development Concept as soon as possible.

Considering the growing water scarcity in the region, it was proposed to declare 2026–2036 the Decade of Practical Action for the Rational Use of Water in Central Asia.

He also highlighted the importance of actively involving neighbouring Afghanistan in a regional dialogue on the joint use of Amu Darya basin water resources.

To invest in the professional training of water management specialists, the President proposed establishing a Regional Water Management Competence Centre based at the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanisation Engineers.

The head of state invited all countries to actively participate in the World Water Conservation Forum, scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan in 2026.

Cultural and humanitarian cooperation was another key topic. In this regard, the President expressed hope that the Centre of Islamic Civilisation would become an attractive hub for young people, supporting their scholarly and spiritual development.

He also proposed holding on a regular basis the International Congress on Cultural Heritage and Enlightenment Issues, which was held for the first time in Tashkent ahead of the summit.

To advance this agenda, the President of Uzbekistan put forward an initiative to adopt a special resolution of the UN General Assembly dedicated to the contribution of prominent scholars and thinkers of the region to global enlightenment.

Within scientific and educational cooperation, he proposed establishing a Research Fund to finance interstate projects, support the academic community and expand opportunities for introducing artificial intelligence technologies.

Concluding his address, the President underlined that the documents adopted today and the initiatives put forward embody the shared vision of building a stable, secure and prosperous Central Asia.

“I would like to emphasise that our strength lies in unity, and our path to success lies in friendship and cooperation. Only through solidarity, mutual respect and strategic approaches can we achieve our noble goals,” President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The President also congratulated the President of Turkmenistan on assuming the chairmanship of the Consultative Meeting in the new Central Asia and Azerbaijan format to be held in 2026.

Afterwards, the leaders of Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan delivered their remarks. Kaha Imnadze, head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, read out the message of UN Secretary-General António Guterres.