During his working visit to Uzbekistan, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov, spoke at the Seventh Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, held in Tashkent. This was reported by the president's press service.
Among the participants were the leaders of neighboring countries: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdymukhamedov, and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Sadyr Japarov thanked Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the warm welcome and expressed his congratulations on the successful holding of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand.
In his speech, the president emphasized the importance of including Azerbaijan in the format of the Consultative Meetings as a full-fledged participant, noting that this expansion of cooperation in the region would contribute to new opportunities.
In light of new challenges for the region, he stressed the need to maintain the spirit of trust and unity among the Central Asian countries.
To this end, Japarov proposed that the states coordinate their positions and present a united front on the international stage, including organizing consultations of foreign ministries before meetings with other countries.
Speaking about the development of economic cooperation, the president noted that the task of qualitatively increasing trade and investments is a common priority.
“Last year, the volume of direct foreign investments from Central Asian countries to Kyrgyzstan increased by 15% and amounted to 135 million US dollars,” he noted.
Over the past three years, Kyrgyzstan's trade turnover with Central Asia has increased by 28%. In the first half of this year, it reached 1 billion 700 million dollars, which is 14% more than in the same period last year.
To deepen integration, the president proposed three strategic steps:
First: elimination of trade barriers and harmonization of standards and technical regulations.
Second: development of joint production chains and transition to the processing industry.
Third: use of digital technologies for growth, including the creation of platforms for information exchange and strengthening cybersecurity.
Discussing transportation infrastructure issues, Japarov noted that a new transport artery is being created in the region.
“The construction of the ‘China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan’ railway will not only connect our countries but also change logistics, providing the shortest route to the largest markets in Asia and Europe,” he added.
In this regard, the Zangezur Corridor project is a logical continuation. The president proposed creating a unified electronic platform, the “Digital Transit Corridor,” to simplify the exchange of customs data.
He also noted that Kyrgyzstan is open to implementing mutually beneficial projects, including the construction of hydropower plants, and emphasized the importance of effective resource utilization in Central Asia.
Japarov highlighted the significance of tourism as a means of bringing the peoples of the region closer together and reported an increase in mutual trips. He announced the holding of the Sixth World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan next year, inviting sports delegations from other countries.
“I am confident that through our joint efforts, we can make Central Asia an example of successful regional cooperation, where political trust is combined with economic achievements and unity,” he concluded.
In closing his speech, the president expressed gratitude to Uzbekistan for its effective chairmanship and wished success to Turkmenistan, noting Kyrgyzstan's readiness to actively support all reached agreements.
