BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 18. Looking at Central Asia, it becomes clear that the region has entered a qualitatively new stage of development, the Department Head at the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Azamat Sulimanov, said, Trend reports.
He made the remark at an international conference on 'C6: One region, shared future – enhancing strategic dialogue' held today in Baku.
According to him, in a short period of time, Central Asia has gone from dialogue to real partnership: "Territorial issues have been resolved, borders have been opened, and cooperation in energy, transport, and trade has been established. Consultative meetings of the heads of state of Central Asia played a key role in this process, serving as an important pillar of the regional cooperation architecture."
Sulimanov emphasized that these meetings have proven their effectiveness as a tool for direct and systematic dialogue between the leaders of the countries.
“I believe that Azerbaijan's accession to this format allows us to talk about a qualitative rethinking of the regional space, in which the Caspian Sea ceases to be a border and becomes a connecting element. This, in turn, entails the interconnection
In addition, the expert stressed that this contributes to strengthening interregional connectivity between Central Asia and the South Caucasus, as well as strengthening the region's international standing.