5-6 August 2021 in the city of Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan), a regular Consultative meeting of the Heads of States of Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan is being held.
The agenda includes the issues of sustainable development of the region, increasing mutual trade, creating favourable conditions for partnership in the energy sector, expanding cooperation in the fields of transport and communications, consolidating efforts to combat the COVID pandemic, and other matters.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced a number initiatives aimed at further strengthening relations of friendship and good neighbourhood, mutual trust and support, outlined new promising areas of regional interaction based on common long-term interests.
In the framework of the Summit, bilateral meetings of the Heads of States of the Central Asian Countries were held as well.
This is the third meeting of the Leaders of the Central Asian Republics in a such format. The initiative on organising the Consultative meetings belongs to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The proposal was put forward in 2017 at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.
The first summit was held in March 2018 in the capital of Kazakhstan Nur-Sultan, the second – in November 2019 in Tashkent.
The Consultative meetings are an important mechanism for expanding multilateral and mutually beneficial dialogue and cooperation, strengthening good neighbourhood relations among the countries of the region. They also serve to enhance stability, security and sustainable development in the region.
Despite the relatively recent launch of this format, it has already received wide international acknowledgement and support as an effective mechanism for regional interaction.
