Tashkent, November 16 (QNA) - The 7th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia convened in Tashkent, chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.
The meeting brought together President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, and Kaha Imnadze, Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.
The leaders drilled down on advancing regional cooperation and carrying out joint projects and initiatives across priority domains.
President Mirziyoyev announced the accession of Azerbaijan as a full member of the Consultative Meetings, an important step that, as he underscored, reinforces the region's historical and cultural bonds while heralding them toward broader prospects in trade, economic engagement, investment, cultural exchange, and humanitarian cooperation.
He also surveyed the region's recent strides in integration, including the opening of border crossings, strengthened cooperation in the water and energy sectors, the restoration of transport links, and the creation of conditions that have ushered in an uptick in trade and investment.
He noted that intra-regional trade reached USD 10.7 billion last year, with investments rising 17 percent.
Mirziyoyev stressed the importance of advancing commercial and economic cooperation, removing administrative and customs hitches, expanding e-commerce, and pushing ahead with strategic projects in infrastructure, transport, and energy, efforts aimed at connecting the region through railway corridors and transit routes across Afghanistan.
He further reaffirmed the centrality of regional security and stability, underscoring the importance of strengthening cultural and humanitarian collaboration, and advancing the role of the Center for Islamic Civilization. (QNA)