On August 6, the third consultative meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia took place in the Avaza national tourist zone of Turkmenistan.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in his speech noted that thanks to the common political will and joint efforts, today the region is becoming a space of good-neighborliness, mutually beneficial cooperation and sustainable development.
“In the formation of a new political atmosphere here, it is difficult to overestimate the role of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia. Our regular summit meetings allow us to fully realize the unique potential of the region,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.
The head of state expressed his vision on topical issues and put forward a number of proposals.
It was noted that today’s realities require decisive steps to form a new model of economic cooperation in Central Asia. It is important to identify new growth points, new drivers of development for the long term. The need to build up intraregional trade was emphasized, and in order to move to a full-fledged free trade regime, it is important to remove existing barriers. Long value chains can be created through the development of industrial cooperation, innovation and digital technologies. It was noted that for this, direct business contacts between entrepreneurs and regions of the countries should be encouraged, investment and economic forums should be held regularly.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that the time has come for the adoption of an agreement on the general directions of regional trade-economic cooperation. It is in the common strategic interests of the Central Asian countries to effectively use the transport-transit potential of the region. An extensive and integrated transport system can become a key transit hub on the Eurasian continent. In this regard, the head of state called for the fullest possible loading of the existing transport corridors and infrastructure, including the Caspian Sea ports, large cross-border logistics centers. In addition, in the future, Uzbekistan expects to use the potential of the trans-Afghan corridor Termez – Mazar-i-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar, the road and railways China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan.
The importance of the resumption of full-fledged transport communication in compliance with sanitary requirements was also emphasized. The issues of energy security of the region are becoming even more urgent in view of the growth of national economies and population. In this regard, it is necessary to continue efforts to form a common energy space, paying special attention to the advanced implementation of “green” energy and energy efficient technologies.
The President of Uzbekistan proposed to intensify the activities of the Electricity Coordination Council of Central Asian countries, expanding its mandate and powers, as well as the level of representation of countries. The attention of the meeting participants was drawn to the aggravation of the problems of providing the population with food products in the context of a pandemic. In some regions of the world, there is a rise in prices and a shortage of basic foodstuffs. The head of state, supporting the initiative to hold regular meetings of the ministers of agriculture of the region’s countries, proposed to include in the agenda of their first meeting the issue of introducing a regional food security monitoring system.
This will make it possible to determine specific directions and joint programs to increase food production and control their quality, including deliveries to the world market.
Also, the issues of close coordination and mutual assistance in the fight against the pandemic were touched upon.
To this end, Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed to launch a unified information system for the recognition of test results and vaccination certificates, expand the exchange of experience in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, training of medical workers, establish scientific cooperation in the field of pharmacology and cooperation in the production of vital medicines. The President stressed that the focus should always be on the environmental problems of the region. It is necessary to expand the scale of cooperation, to take all possible measures to mitigate the consequences of the Aral Sea disaster. In this context, the President of Uzbekistan proposed to develop a regional program “Green Agenda” for Central Asia, which would contribute to the adaptation of countries to climate change, as well as wider introduction of resource-saving technologies. The leader of Uzbekistan stressed the importance of strengthening the region’s ties with other major regions of the world. He thanked the heads of state for the support and active participation of the delegations of their countries in the work of the International Conference on the Interconnectedness of Central and South Asia recently held in Tashkent.
He expressed confidence that a special resolution of the UN General Assembly on this issue will be adopted by joint efforts, as well as active participation in this issue of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.
“We are all aware that an important role in the development of our countries is played by young people, who constitute the majority of the population in the region. Today, when all over the world the struggle for the minds and hearts of the young generation continues, we need to educate our youth, on whom the future of Central Asia depends, in the spirit of patriotism, respect for national and universal values,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.
The head of state proposed to hold a forum of Central Asian youth in Uzbekistan next year, which will be an important step towards forming a platform for strengthening trust and friendship, an interactive dialogue between representatives of governments and youth of the countries. An important factor in strengthening the fraternal relations of peoples is the further development of a common cultural-civilizational space. The President of Uzbekistan stressed the importance of regular organization of festivals, days of culture and cinema, joint publication of books on the cultural heritage of Central Asia. Another effective factor contributing to the rapprochement of peoples is the tourism sector. It is important to actively apply additional incentives to increase intraregional tourist exchange.
The head of state proposed to start the practical implementation of the joint program “One tour – the whole region” covering the entire range of tourism products.
“Today’s summit acquires special significance due to the fact that it is taking place on the eve of a significant event – the 30th anniversary of the independence of our states. These were difficult years for all of us. The main conclusion is that only together, together, supporting each other, can we achieve a solution to the problems we face, ensure the sustainable development of the region and increase the well-being of the population. There is no other alternative!” President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted.
The importance of imparting a stable and irreversible character to the processes of regional cooperation, wider use of the potential of “people’s diplomacy”, parliaments, civil society institutions and the media sphere for these purposes was emphasized.
“We welcome the further development of the dialogue of women in Central Asian countries, the expansion of contacts to achieve global goals in the field of gender equality,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized.
Taking into account the growing role of parliamentarism, the President proposed to hold a regional parliamentary forum in Tashkent. At the end of his speech, the head of state expressed confidence that the results of the Consultative meeting would become a worthy contribution to the further strengthening of the multifaceted partnership of the fraternal peoples of Central Asia.
