Solidarity and trust for development and security

In his address at the Eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, held at the Avaza National Tourist Zone in Turkmenistan, the President of Uzbekistan highlighted significant changes in Central Asia in recent years. In particular, he emphasized the establishment of friendly, good-neighborly and cooperative relations among Central Asian countries, as well as the strengthening of mutual trust.

The President also outlined priority tasks to be pursued jointly in the years ahead. In particular, he stressed that elevating cooperation between Central Asia and neighboring regions and identifying promising areas for further development are among the key priorities.

The Head of State proposed discussing this issue in detail at an international conference titled “Interregional Dialogue for Peace and Sustainable Connectivity: The Central Asian Approach”, to be held in Tashkent next year. This would further develop cooperation between Central Asia and neighboring regions, strengthen peace and stability, and expand trade, economic, transport, and logistics ties.

The second priority area focused on strengthening the institutional foundations of regional dialogue. In this regard, the proposal to continue improving the regulatory and legal framework governing the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia will help reinforce the legal foundations of regional cooperation and ensure the consistent implementation of agreements reached among the countries.

The third priority was to elevate economic cooperation to a new level. A key role in this process will be played by the Comprehensive Regional Program for Trade and Economic Cooperation through 2035. To advance efforts in this area, it was proposed to hold the Central Asia and Azerbaijan Business Forum in Khiva in 2027. This will create new opportunities to expand trade and economic ties across the region, establish direct business cooperation, attract investment, and implement joint projects.

The fourth priority focused on connecting the countries through a modern transport and logistics network. As the President emphasized, the region has the potential to become one of the most important overland routes for global trade and, at the same time, a major hub of economic activity. However, building roads and railways alone is not enough to achieve this goal. A coordinated approach to transport infrastructure development is essential. Major projects must be aligned to ensure that transport routes connect seamlessly and operate as an integrated system.

The President emphasized that human resources are among the most important factors shaping the region’s future. Central Asian countries have considerable demographic potential. As populations grow and the share of young people rises, the state of the regional economy in ten, twenty, or thirty years will largely depend on the quality of education and vocational training. Therefore, education and youth support occupy a special place among the priority areas for cooperation. To this end, it was proposed to develop a regional atlas of in-demand professions and competencies. This initiative will help guide young people toward professions that will be in high demand in the future and promote their employment.

Overall, implementing the initiatives proposed at the Consultative Meeting will help strengthen peace and stability in Central Asia, accelerate economic development, and improve the well-being of the region’s population.

Zafar Khudoyberdiyev,

Deputy of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis