The countries of Central Asia have started to effectively interact and resolve important issues. Today one can confidently speak about “the beginning of the formation of a common regional identity”, president of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at the sixth consultative meeting of the Central Asian heads of states in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Friday.
The president noted that “effective tools” are now needed to implement the decisions taken and proposed improving the format of the consultative meeting to “deepen regional integration”.
Touching upon the international situation, he stressed that Central Asia, due to its geopolitical position, “is fully experiencing all the negative consequences of the global crisis of confidence and the escalation of conflicts”.
“What is happening around Ukraine and in the Middle East directly affects the stable and sustainable development of the region. Traditional trade and transport chains have been disrupted. We have become hostages of the sanctions policy, costs of logistics have increased significantly, inflationary pressure is growing. Opportunities in the global capital market are shrinking, protectionism is increasing, and new barriers are appearing,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed.
Issues related to the situation in Afghanistan, “an important factor in the stability of the region”, have moved to the “second place” on the international agenda, he noted.
“The present and future of Central Asia, the well-being of our countries and peoples largely depend on our common efforts, on our readiness to closely cooperate, to take decisive measures and to jointly advance the interests of the region,” the president said.
He added that he considers it appropriate to develop a Concept for ensuring regional security and stability.
