BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 18. The inclusion of Azerbaijan in the Central Asian format is not an opportunistic decision, but rather a restoration of historical ties that existed previously, Chief Researcher of the Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan, Sanat Kushkumbayev, said at an international conference entitled 'C6: One region, shared future – enhancing strategic dialogue', Trend reports.
According to him, we are talking about recreating a situation that already existed.
"This is not some opportunistic, institutional, or other decision to expand the format," the analyst noted.
He recalled that Azerbaijan had already participated in previous Central Asian summits and stressed the historical inheritance: the Inter-Republican Consultative Council was established back in 1991.
"All countries in the region, including Azerbaijan, participated in the work of the consultative council. As for the goals of participation, they remain the same: restoring economic ties, improving the well-being of the population, and harmonizing economic ties between the republics of the former Soviet Union," the analyst emphasized.
Kushkumbayev added that the current C6 format institutionally enshrines processes that have been in the making for decades.