President Mirziyoyev proposes new investment, transport and technology initiatives for Central Asia and Azerbaijan

He also asked the Council of Ministers of Trade and Investment to consider the proposal at its next meeting in Ashgabat.

Mirziyoyev highlighted the Comprehensive Regional Programme for Trade and Economic Cooperation until 2035 as a key instrument for expanding trade, removing barriers and boosting industrial cooperation.

Coordinated transport and energy development

Mirziyoyev said Central Asia had the potential to become a major land bridge for global trade and a hub of economic activity, but warned that building roads and railways alone would not be enough.

Major transport projects, he said, should be planned as part of a single, coordinated network rather than developed independently. New corridors should also be linked to production facilities, logistics and service centers, and industrial zones to generate broader economic benefits.

To improve coordination, Mirziyoyev proposed speeding up the establishment of a Council for Infrastructure Development and offered to host its first meeting in Uzbekistan.

Energy was another area he identified for closer regional cooperation. Central Asia has a diverse mix of energy resources, ranging from hydrocarbons and hydropower to solar and wind, creating opportunities for countries to complement one another.

Mirziyoyev proposed developing a Joint Concept for Low-Carbon Energy Potential to coordinate the construction of new generating capacity, the deployment of modern energy storage systems and the development of regional energy corridors.

Water, climate and air pollution

Mirziyoyev identified water scarcity and climate change as increasingly serious constraints on regional development, citing population growth and growing pressure on agriculture and infrastructure.

He called for the introduction of modern digital monitoring systems, the modernization of irrigation networks and wider use of water-saving technologies. He also urged the participating countries to fully implement their joint initiative on the Decade of Practical Action for the Rational Use of Water Resources in Central Asia.

Uzbekistan will assume the chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea next year. Mirziyoyev said Tashkent would seek to improve the fund’s effectiveness, launch new environmental projects and attract additional financing during its chairmanship.

He also stressed the need for continuous and substantive dialogue with Afghanistan on water use, taking into account the interests of all countries in the region.

Air pollution was another issue raised by the Uzbek president, who described it as a major challenge for cities across the region.

Building on Uzbekistan’s proposal to establish the International Consortium “Clean Air of Central Asia”, Mirziyoyev suggested launching its work with a pilot program to modernize industrial zones, agro-clusters and transport hubs in participating countries.

Critical minerals and regional computing capacity

Mirziyoyev called for closer cooperation on critical minerals, which are becoming increasingly important for industry, energy and emerging technologies.

He proposed accelerating efforts to establish the Regional Alliance on Critical Minerals and making the creation of a unified digital map of critical mineral reserves in Central Asia one of its first projects.

The president also proposed pooling the countries’ technological capabilities to build shared computing infrastructure based on an interconnected network of national data centers.

Such a network could make more efficient use of available computing capacity, support the development of regional digital products and provide infrastructure for large-scale artificial intelligence projects.

He said cooperation should also cover joint training programs for specialists in priority industries, greater support for scientific research and expanded opportunities for technology entrepreneurs.

Regional atlas to map future skills needs

Mirziyoyev described people as the region’s most important asset and said the quality of young people’s education and professional training would be a decisive factor in Central Asia’s economic development over the coming decades.

He proposed creating a Regional Atlas of In-Demand Professions and Skills that would bring together forecasts from participating countries and identify both sectors already facing labor shortages and those expected to require more specialists in the future.

The atlas could help universities and vocational education institutions align their programs with the needs of regional economies. It would also allow countries to train specialists in advance for major joint projects in industry, transport, energy and digital technology.

Concluding his address, Mirziyoyev said the priority now was to consolidate the progress achieved in recent years and ensure that regional cooperation remained sustainable in the long term.

“Our formula is simple: solidarity and trust – for the sake of development and security. We are responsible for the kind of region we will leave to future generations. It should be peaceful, secure, economically strong, and provide people with opportunities to live, work, study, and raise their children with dignity,” he said.

The leaders adopted a joint statement and signed decisions on a number of multilateral regulatory documents. Azerbaijan also assumed the chairmanship of the Consultative Meeting.