NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen interstate relations and ensure sustainable growth in the region during the Oct. 15 Central Asia + Russia virtual ministerial meeting, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service reported. This is the third meeting of the heads of the foreign affairs agencies.
The participants stressed that cooperation between the Central Asian states and Russia is developing in accordance with the traditions of an age-old friendship, mutual respect, and trust, as well as taking into account the creative processes in the Eurasian region, the press service said in the statement.
The participants discussed measures to expand long-term interaction, deepen interstate ties, strengthen security, and ensure sustainable growth in Central Asia. The ministers also discussed prospects for trade, economic and energy cooperation, common initiatives in the transport and transit sphere, as well as citizen mobility and the epidemiological situation in the Eurasian region.
The ministers also discussed current challenges in healthcare and environmental challenges in Central Asian countries. The participants stressed the importance of strengthening cultural and humanitarian cooperation as well.
Finally, the ministers expressed readiness to join efforts in strategically important areas by expanding economic and interregional cooperation. The meeting participants adopted a joint statement on the matter.
