Today, the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, is participating in a working visit to Uzbekistan, where he is speaking at the Seventh Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, taking place in Tashkent.
This important event is also attended by Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev from Kazakhstan, Emomali Rahmon from Tajikistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov from Turkmenistan, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Uzbekistan.
Sadyr Japarov expressed his gratitude to Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the warm welcome and congratulated him on the successful holding of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand.
In his address, he supported the idea of including Azerbaijan in the format of the Consultative Meetings as a full participant, noting that this expansion would create new opportunities for strengthening cooperation in the region.
The head of Kyrgyzstan emphasized that in light of new opportunities for the region, it is extremely important to maintain the spirit of trust and unity.
In this regard, he proposed that the countries of the region coordinate their positions and act jointly on platforms of the "Central Asia +" format, including organizing consultations of foreign ministries before summits with other states.
Regarding economic cooperation, the president noted that the development of trade and investment ties is a common task for all countries.
"Last year, the volume of direct foreign investments from Central Asia to Kyrgyzstan increased by 15%, amounting to 135 million US dollars. Over the past three years, Kyrgyzstan's trade turnover with the countries of the region has increased by 28%. From January to August of this year, the trade turnover amounted to 1 billion 700 million dollars, which is 14% more compared to the same period last year," he reported.
To deepen integration, Sadyr Japarov highlighted three key areas:
First: it is necessary to eliminate barriers in trade and harmonize standards and technical regulations.
Second: the development of joint production chains, transitioning from a raw material model to processing industries and creating new industrial clusters.
Third: using digitalization as a tool for growth, including e-commerce and creating cross-border platforms for information exchange and strengthening cybersecurity.
The president also discussed the development of transport infrastructure, noting that a new transport artery is being created in the region.
"The construction of the important railway 'China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan' will not only connect our countries but also change logistics, providing the shortest route to the largest markets in Asia and Europe. In this context, the Zangezur Corridor project is seen as a logical continuation," he noted.
To enhance the effectiveness of transport interaction, the president proposed creating a unified electronic platform "Digital Transit Corridor" for the exchange of customs data and document processing on the principle of a "single window." Kyrgyzstan is open to implementing mutually beneficial projects, including the construction of hydropower plants, and considers the effective use of Central Asia's resources to be important.
Furthermore, the president emphasized the importance of tourism as a sector of the economy and a means of bringing the peoples of Central Asia closer together, pointing out the growth in mutual travel.
He also announced the upcoming Sixth World Nomad Games, which will take place next year, inviting sports delegations from the countries of the region to participate in this international event.
"I am confident that through our joint efforts, we can make Central Asia a model of successful regional interaction, where political trust is supported by economic achievements and spiritual unity," the president concluded.
Finally, Sadyr Japarov noted the successful presidency of Uzbekistan and expressed Kyrgyzstan's readiness to actively support all agreements reached.
