Joint Statement of the Consultative meeting of the heads of states of Central Asia (November 29, 2019)

On November 29, 2019 the Consultative meeting of the heads of states of Central Asia took place in the city of Tashkent in which the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, President of Turkmenistan, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy participated.

The participants of the meeting:

proceeding from the common interests of the states of Central Asia in strengthening stability, security and sustainable development in the region, ensuring well-being of its multimillion population,

based on common aspiration of the participating states of Consultative meeting towards expanding multilateral mutually beneficial interaction, deepening regional cooperation and solidifying good-neighborly relations among the countries of  the region,

emphasizing primary and key role of the states of Central Asia in tackling urgent problems and acute issues of entire region through negotiations and consultations based on consensus, equality and respect for one another’s interests,

noting that active joint participation of the Central Asian states in addressing important global problems, the initiatives being put forward and implemented by them in the spheres of security, protection of environment, economic, social, scientific and technological, cultural and humanitarian development are receiving broad international recognition,

affirming the unity of opinions that stirring up and strengthening the multifaceted cooperation among the states of Central Asia on the basis of friendship, good-neighborliness and mutual benefit corresponds to the core interests of brotherly peoples and is a key factor of economic and social progress, maintaining peace, stability and security in the region,

proceeding from the need to further strengthen political trust and mutual understanding among the states, stir up and expand the trade-economic, investment, transport-communication and cultural-humanitarian ties, cross-border and inter-regional cooperation,

attaching special significance to deepening interactions in combating international terrorism, religious extremism, illicit drug trafficking, illegal migration, trans-border organized crime and cyber threats,

noting historical significance of the meeting of the heads of states of Central Asia, which took place on January 2, 1998 in the city of Ashkhabad, and the Consultative meeting of the heads of states of Central Asia, which took place on March 15, 2018 in the city of Nur-Sultan, as well as importance of practical implementation by the parties of the secured agreements,

affirming that realization of the initiative to organize regular Consultative meetings of the heads of states of Central Asia as an in-demand dialogue platform with an aim to discuss urgent issues of regional cooperation will promote further strengthening multilateral  interstate partnership and cooperation in the region,

state about the following:

1. In the conditions of dynamic development of international processes, emergence of new threats, and at the same time, of new favorable opportunities for sustainable development of the states of Central Asia, the demand for a trustworthy dialogue, political consultations and practical interactions among them increases manifold. It is necessary to fully exploit these opportunities in the interests of our countries, striving to make Central Asia a secure and prosperous region.

2. The current regular Consultative meeting in the city of Tashkent allowed to discuss in detail the course of advancement of regional interaction in Central Asia and confirmed the principle choice of all states of the region in favor of intensifying mutually beneficial cooperation.

Tashkent consultative summit promotes development of interstate interaction in Central Asia guided by the goals of creating the most favorable conditions for dynamic development of national economies, raising living standards of our countries’ populations, expanding and deepening multifaceted ties in the region.

The Consultative meeting at the highest level allowed to comprehensively consider the prospective directions, forms and mechanisms of further development of cooperation in the areas of trade, economy, investments, transport and transit, agriculture, industrial cooperation, protection of environment, energy, water resources, tourism, science and culture.

3. The tendency formed in Central Asia towards regional rapprochement is a historically conditioned reality. Stirring up regional cooperation in the spheres of politics, security, preserving stability and achieving sustainable development in the region correspond to the core interests of the peoples of Central Asian countries, promote bigger consolidation of brotherly ties among them, serve for full-scale realization of the enormous economic and civilization potential of Central Asia.

The contemporary realities show demand and need for stirring up and developing political and diplomatic contacts among the states of the region by way of conducting regular meetings at the highest level, as well as at the level of ministers of foreign affairs of the countries of Central Asia in the form of pentalateral political consultations.

4. The political dialogue and positive processes of interstate rapprochement in Central Asia are of an open and constructive nature and not aimed against the interests of third parties. Advancing the regional dialogue and cooperation in concrete priority spheres, above all, in the issues of full-scale realization of the rich economic and human potential of the region, the parties promote establishment of Central Asia as a stable, open and dynamically developing region, reliable and predictable international partner.

The states of the region will continue to strive towards developing open economic cooperation and diversifying ties with other partner countries, international and regional organizations, proceeding from the goals of solidifying regional peace, stability and expanding prospects of economic development of the region, taking into account global tendencies in terms of forming structures of multilateral coordination and cooperation.

5. The prospects of stable development in Central Asia are linked to achieving peace in neighboring Afghanistan.

We welcome and support stirring up of international efforts on settling the situation in Afghanistan and in this regard note important significance attached to realization of outcomes of the VII Conference on regional economic cooperation on Afghanistan (RECCA VII), which took place on November 14-15, 2017 in the city of Ashkhabad and the Tashkent conference on Afghanistan «Peace process, security cooperation and regional connectivity», which took place on March 26-27, 2018, as well as the First regional conference «Empowering women in Afghanistan», which took place in September 2018 in the city of Nur-Sultan, as a continuation of the efforts of international community to support peace and reconciliation process in this country.

With a purpose of achieving stable and long-term peace in Afghanistan, we deem it necessary to hold on to key principles of political settlement, above all, abstention from violence, ceasefire, demonstration of readiness to dialogue and compromises.

The states of Central Asia intend to continue comprehensive efforts to involve Afghanistan into regional trade-economic and infrastructure projects which must assist promotion of peace process.

6. All states of Central Asia are making important contribution to intensification of regional cooperation and advancement of common interests and needs of their region on the international arena.

The achievements of the Central Asian countries deserve a special attention in terms of elaboration and realization of such large international political initiatives as adoption of the UN General Assembly resolutions  «International Decade for Action on «Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028» (December 2016), «Strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region» (June 2018), «The role of the international community in the prevention of the radiation threat in Central Asia» (November 2018), «Enlightenment and religious tolerance» (December 2018), «Cooperation between United Nations and International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea» (April 2018 and May 2019) and others.

The parties noted productive stirring up of activities of the states of the region in the framework of the Central Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (CANWFZ).

We intend to continue to strengthen interaction in the framework of the United Nations and other international organizations, elaborate and jointly promote the new initiatives and projects aimed at consolidating peace, stability, security and supporting sustainable development in Central Asia. This positive tendency corresponds to modern requirements of international political development of our region, promotes strengthening of role and place of Central Asia in the world community, solidifying the weight and influence of our countries on the global arena.

7. Noting the need to develop effective economic cooperation in Central Asia based on the principles of mutual support and mutual benefit, the parties stand up for strengthening coordination and deepening regional cooperation in the issues of joint implementation of large economic projects, and particularly, which are aimed at expanding the transport and transit capabilities and developing the energy potential of the region, ensuring stable access to seaports and world markets, developing infrastructure, forming modern international logistics, trade and tourism centers, building new enterprises, introducing innovative technologies and developing «green economy».

The states of Central Asia are ready to undertake joint measures in terms of establishing modern production infrastructure in the region, which meets the priority goals and tasks of policies of the Central Asian countries in the area of industrial development.

In this regard, we confirm our intention to continue active cooperation in the sphere of forming effective regional system of transport corridors and realizing enormous transit potential of Central Asia. Creating interconnected regional transport system, which ensures the shortest access to seaports and new external markets, will reinforce process of reviving the role of the Central Asian region as a global transit corridor which links the South Asia, China and Europe.

The countries of the region are interested in advancing practical implementation of initiatives and projects on developing transit systems in the region, which will have a positive impact on dynamics and volumes of international trade, growth of transit flow of cargo, cost of transportation of raw, equipment and finished products.

We intend to take practical actions aimed at increasing commodity turnover among the countries of the region, including improving treaty and law basis, which regulates the order of crossing goods of the countries of Central Asia on their territories.

8. The states of Central Asia are interested in developing and expanding regional cooperation in the sphere of protection of environment, combating climate change and mitigation its consequences for the population of the region.

With these goals we intend to continue to develop and strengthen interaction in the basin of Aral Sea. Paying big attention to the issues of ecology and protection of environment in the region, the states of Central Asia will undertake effective coordination of their efforts in addressing the problems of melting of glaciers, the basin of Aral Sea and uranium tail dumps. We consider it expedient to use capabilities of the International Fund for Saving Aral Sea and the resources of the Multi-partner human security trust fund for the Aral Sea region, established under auspices of the United Nations, to tackle practical tasks in terms of drawing new knowledge and innovative technologies to the region, integrated introducing principles of «green» economy, preventing further desertification, ecological migration and other measures.

Noting importance of reasonable and fair use of water and energy resources in Central Asia, our countries will continue work on improving mechanisms of long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation in this sphere with taking into account the interests of all parties.

9. The states of the region intend to continue to take necessary joint measures to settle all remaining issues in the region in terms of development and security by way of common efforts to make the region more stable and prosperous, reinforce the potential of their countries to address contemporary threats and challenges.

With these purposes it is necessary to assist shaping effective forms of cooperation endorsed on the regional level on concrete directions – the trade-economic interaction, social development, security and combating threats and challenges, etc.

10. We are committed to the efforts to promote and support development of close cooperation and regional interactions, exchanges and contacts in the areas of science and education, enlightenment, culture, art and sport, supporting youth and developing tourism.

The parties agreed on the need to pay special permanent attention to the problems of youth and take joint measures and adopt programs aimed at supporting young people in realizing their potential, as well as developing dialogue and cooperation among youth organizations of the states of the region in the spheres of culture, science, technologies, entrepreneurship, etc.

The states of the region will continue to deepen mutual cooperation in these spheres with a goal to preserve, strengthen and advance region-wide cultural and scientific achievements of Central Asia, values and traditions which unite the peoples of the Central Asian countries. We are interested to comprehensively promote distribution of knowledge about rich history, culture, civilization, tourist attractiveness of Central Asia in their countries and throughout the world.

11. Tashkent Consultative meeting took place in traditionally friendly, warm and trustworthy atmosphere.

We confirm our intention to continue annual consultations at the highest level in the format of the heads of five states of the region, and in this regard, we have agreed to institute the regular Consultative meetings of the heads of states of Central Asia as a regional dialogue platform for trustworthy, constructive and open discussion of urgent issues of regional cooperation in our region and tackling common problems.

In this regard, we have adopted Regulations of work on organizing Consultative meetings of the heads of states of Central Asia, which includes also holding regular meetings of ministers of foreign affairs and expert level sessions.

12. The parties sincerely welcome proposal of Kyrgyz Republic to take up a role of chairing side of the next Consultative meeting of the heads of states in 2020 and conduct it in accordance with the adopted Regulations.

The parties expressed gratitude to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Mirziyoyev Shavkat Miromonovich for hospitality and high level of organization of the Consultative meeting.

City of Tashkent, November 29, 2019