On May 16 in Astana, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with secretaries of the Security Councils of the five Central Asian countries.
The Kazakh president noted that the meeting was an important stage in the preparation for the Sixth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, which will be held in Astana on August 9. Tokayev said that Kazakhstan is actively working to strengthen the potential of the upcoming summit.
“We have developed a Strategy for the Development of Regional Cooperation ‘Central Asia–2040’. The priorities of regional rapprochement are, first of all, aimed at expanding five-way interaction and strengthening the international subjectivity of Central Asia,” Tokayev said. “I am confident that the adoption of this document during the summit in Astana will have conceptual significance for the region. The special nature of relations between our countries is enshrined in the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborhood and Cooperation for the Development of Central Asia in the 21st Century. It takes strategic partnerships to the next level. I believe that one of the main results of the summit in Astana could be the completion of the procedure for signing this historic Treaty for all of us and its entry into force.”
The Kazakh president emphasized that trade and economic cooperation between the Central Asian countries is steadily expanding. Over the past five years, intraregional trade has grown by more than 80%, exceeding $10 billion. Large regional projects not only bring tangible mutual benefits, but also change the entire configuration of the Central Asian economy.
According to Tokayev, most modern challenges and threats are transboundary and countering them requires joint efforts.
“First of all, we are talking about the fight against international extremism and terrorism, drug trafficking, and arms trafficking. In this regard, Afghanistan must be the focus of our common attention. Complex multidirectional processes are taking place in this country. It must be admitted that there are certain signs of stabilization and revival of the economic situation in this country. On the other hand, there remain high risks associated with the activity of international terrorist organizations, as evidenced by the bloody terrorist attack in the Moscow region. In our opinion, one of the strategic tasks at the present stage is the active involvement of Afghanistan in regional ties. And here a lot depends on the coordinated position of our countries. We consider it urgent to create a UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in our country,” Tokayev said.
The Kazakh leader also expressed his satisfaction with the growing regional cooperation and mutual trust. “I can say with full responsibility that some 10 years ago, there was no such situation in the Central Asian region. Now heads of state, heads of government, secretaries of the Security Councils, heads of law enforcement agencies, not to mention heads of economic departments, closely interact with each other. And this is a very good sign that the situation in the Central Asian region is moving towards sustainable development.”
Photo: akorda.kz
