At the VII Consultative Meeting of Central Asian leaders in Tashkent, issues concerning the strengthening of cooperation in the region and the implementation of joint initiatives were discussed. The participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in this event was a significant moment. This opinion was expressed by Kairat Osmonaliev, former ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan and Doctor of Law, in an interview with the AZƏRTAC publication.
Osmonaliev emphasized that Azerbaijan's acceptance as a new member of this international platform represents an important step in the evolution of the region. This is related to the common history, kinship ties, and spiritual closeness of the peoples. Moreover, such a decision strengthens the unity of Turkic-speaking countries and creates new opportunities for economic, investment, and cultural cooperation, as well as helps in adopting coordinated measures on sustainable development issues.
He also noted that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, relations between Central Asian states were complicated due to border disputes, sometimes leading to armed clashes. However, currently, this tension has remained in the past, as the countries of the region have decided to strengthen cooperation and address mutual problems. Territorial issues have been successfully resolved, border crossings have been opened, mutually beneficial cooperation in water resources and energy has been established, transport communication has been restored, and conditions for active trade and humanitarian initiatives have been created. In this context, the expansion of the platform has become particularly relevant," the lawyer noted.
Osmonaliev also added that Kyrgyzstan proposed to Azerbaijan to join the platform back in 2021 and received a positive response. As can be seen today, the integration processes initiated four years ago have already begun to yield concrete results. Azerbaijan's joining this initiative allows for the creation of a unified space for cooperation, which, in turn, strengthens the strategic interconnection between Central Asia and the South Caucasus. It also promotes the development of transport and logistics connections, the creation of new railway routes, and trade corridors.
"A new transport artery is being formed in the region. The strategic railway China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan will not only connect our countries but will also significantly change logistics, providing a shorter route to the largest markets in Asia and Europe. In this context, the Zangezur corridor project (TRIPP) appears to be a logical and strategically important continuation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway," the former ambassador concluded.
