Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Central Asia

Foreign Ministers of Central Asia Discussed Security Issues in the Region

The foreign ministers of Central Asian countries, on behalf of their presidents, discussed security issues and the use of water and energy resources in the region during a meeting held on Saturday on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, reports the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic.

“A wide range of relevant regional cooperation issues was discussed at the meeting. Special attention was paid to security issues in the region, borders, transport and transit communications, the use of water and energy resources, tariff policy, and trade and economic cooperation. This event is being held for the first time in this format, following the instructions of the heads of state of Central Asia based on their working meeting that took place on March 15, 2018, in Astana,” the press service reports.

In addition, representatives of the foreign policy agencies of countries with common historical, cultural, and linguistic roots and traditions discussed issues of cultural and humanitarian cooperation and reached a consensus that cooperation in this area should continue and be actively developed.

During the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Erlan Abdyldaev, noted that the participation of official delegations from Central Asian countries in the third World Nomad Games, which will take place in September in Kyrgyzstan, “will contribute to the activation and promotion of cultural and humanitarian cooperation, strengthening the time-tested fraternal ties between states and peoples.”

“Within the framework of the ministers' meeting, bilateral negotiations were also held, during which the parties discussed the state and prospects of interstate relations in a constructive and trusting manner, as well as 'synchronized their watches' on a wide range of current regional and international agenda issues,” the press service noted.

The meeting was attended by the heads of foreign policy agencies of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.