Mirziyoyev made the remarks on July 31 during an informal meeting of the leaders of Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan held in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan.
The meeting was attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. The leaders discussed issues related to sustainable development, economic growth, regional security and the well-being of the peoples of Central Asia and Azerbaijan.
Ahead of the 35th anniversaries of the independence of the Central Asian states, Mirziyoyev praised the achievements each country has made in state-building, economic development and national renewal.
"As a result of our joint efforts, Central Asia is today uniting around shared goals of development," the president said.
Against the backdrop of what he described as an increasingly complex and unpredictable international environment, Mirziyoyev called for stronger coordination among regional countries. He said Azerbaijan's participation in the Consultative Meeting format elevates cooperation to a new macro-regional level.
"A historic opportunity has opened before us to create a common development space linking Central Asia, the South Caucasus and our close neighbor Afghanistan," he said.
Mirziyoyev also stressed the importance of strengthening coordination within intergovernmental organizations and the various "Central Asia Plus" dialogue formats to reinforce the region's standing as an influential international actor.
Among the long-term priorities, he highlighted the creation of an integrated regional infrastructure combining human capital, artificial intelligence technologies, data centers and energy capacity to transform Central Asia into a competitive hub for education, science and innovation.
The president also emphasized that environmental protection should remain one of the region's key priorities.
"This summer's unusually high temperatures have once again demonstrated that climate change is already having a direct impact on our economies, water and energy security, as well as people's health and quality of life. It is important to develop long-term solutions together to adapt to these new challenges," he said.
Concluding his remarks, Mirziyoyev said the region's greatest strength lies in "unity, mutual trust and a shared commitment to building a better future together."
