ASTANA – The Fifth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Chengdu on Dec. 1 reaffirmed the countries’ commitment to deepening political engagement, expanding economic relations, and strengthening cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Murat Nurtleu attended the meeting alongside counterparts from the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and counterparts from the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China attended the event.
According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, the meeting participants discussed economic cooperation, regional security challenges, transportation and logistics cooperation, climate and environment, and the growth of cultural and humanitarian ties. They agreed to strengthen cooperation in environmental sustainability, including water resources, renewable energy and environmental protection.
The officials stressed the need to implement joint infrastructure projects, simplify trade procedures and stimulate investment within the Belt and Road Initiative. The ministers discussed strengthening measures to combat terrorism, extremism and transnational crime, as well as coordinating efforts in cybersecurity.
During the event, Nurtleu thanked his counterparts for the constructive dialogue and the opportunity to discuss new areas for developing cooperation between Central Asian countries and China.
“Kazakhstan sees this format as the most important platform for strengthening our common future. We are convinced that deepening cooperation in the fields of economy, security and ecology will contribute to regional stability and prosperity,” said Nurtleu.
A noteworthy illustration of the format’s practical interaction was the ceremony for delivering the 5,000th truck along the Tianfu-Sichuan cross-border route and the 500th train to Central Asia.
The ministers decided that the next China-Central Asia meeting will be held on the eve of the summit in Kazakhstan in 2025.
Murat Nurtleu held meeting with Wang Yi
Murat Nurtleu and Wang Yi. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Nurtleu held talks with the Member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
During the meeting, they discussed the current state and prospects for developing bilateral cooperation, reviewed the implementation of agreements reached at the highest levels, and exchanged views on current topics on the regional and international agenda.
Nurtleu and Wang underlined the importance of joint efforts to promote trade, economic, transit and transport cooperation and ensure energy security, as well as increase non-resource exports of Kazakhstan to China. In January-October, bilateral trade turnover reached a record high of $36.5 billion, 11% higher than the figures for the same period last year.
The officials also addressed cultural and humanitarian cooperation, including expanding educational exchanges, funding scientific research, and organizing joint cultural events.
