President of Uzbekistan outlines prospects for advancing regional cooperation among the Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan

On July 31, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in an informal meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, held in Cholpon-Ata in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The meeting was attended by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

The heads of state exchanged views on key issues related to sustainable development, economic growth, regional security, and improving the well-being of the peoples of Central Asia and Azerbaijan.

At the beginning of his address, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan expressed his appreciation to President Sadyr Japarov of the Kyrgyz Republic for his initiative in convening the informal summit and for the warm hospitality extended on the shores of Issyk-Kul.

The President of Uzbekistan also expressed his gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhammedov of Turkmenistan for his effective chairmanship of the Consultative Meetings format.

On the eve of the 35th anniversary of the independence of the countries of the region, the President of Uzbekistan highly commended the achievements of all the countries in consolidating statehood, achieving sustained economic growth, and advancing national renewal.

"Thanks to joint efforts, Central Asia, is now consolidating in pursuit of shared development goals," the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized.

Analyzing the realities of the complex and unpredictable international situation, he called on the participants to take further decisive action and ensure closer coordination. As the President of Uzbekistan emphasized, Azerbaijan's accession to the Consultative Meetings format elevates cooperation among the countries to a qualitatively new, macro-regional level.

"We are facing a historic opportunity to form a unified development space linking Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and our close neighbor, Afghanistan," the Leader of Uzbekistan stated.

In order to strengthen the foundation for sustainable development, interconnectedness, and good-neighborliness among the states of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, a vision for the priorities of regional cooperation was presented.

First and foremost, the importance of further forming a stable architecture of regional interaction was noted, the structure of which should be based on effective institutions of cooperation, close contacts among sectoral departments, direct ties between regions, and long-term joint programs in key areas of development.

President Shavkat Mirizyoyev emphasized the need to strengthen coordination within the framework of intergovernmental organizations and the "Central Asia Plus" formats, which contribute to enhancing the region's international standing.

Further steps to strengthen trade, economic, and transport connectivity, expand end-to-end industrial and technological value chains, develop common digital services, and launch investment platforms require detailed elaboration.

Transforming Central Asia into a competitive hub for education, science, and innovation was highlighted as a promising task to be achieved through the creation of an integrated infrastructure combining human resources, artificial intelligence technologies, data centers, and energy capacity.

It was particularly emphasized that environmental protection has always been and remains a key priority on the regional agenda. The challenges arising in our shared natural environment do not recognize state borders, which means that the response to them must also be shared.

"This summer's extreme heat has once again demonstrated that climate change is already emerging as a factor directly affecting the economy, water and energy security, public health, and quality of life. It is essential to develop long-term solutions for our collective adaptation to these emerging risks." the President of Uzbekistan noted.

The humanitarian dimension was highlighted as one of the enduring priorities of cooperation. The peoples of the region have lived side by side for centuries, developing trade and exchanging knowledge and cultural traditions. As cooperation deepens, the sense of community among the peoples of the region continues to strengthen.

"While preserving the unique national identity of our peoples, a common regional identity is gradually taking shape. I am confident that the qualitative renewal of the substance of our work in this area will further strengthen the sense of unity, solidarity, and mutual understanding among our peoples,” President Shavkat Mirizyoyev emphasized.

Concluding his address, the President of Uzbekistan expressed his deep conviction that our common strength lies in unity, mutual trust, and a firm commitment to working together to build a better future.

The summit also featured speeches by the leaders of the Central Asian states and Azerbaijan, who shared their assessments of the current state and prospects for the development of regional cooperation.

Following the summit, the Cholpon-Ata Declaration was adopted.