TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, November 16. On 16 November, the 7th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia in the “Central Asia + Azerbaijan” format was held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, Trend’s special correspondent reports.
The summit was attended by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdymukhamedov.
At the meeting, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced Azerbaijan’s accession to the Consultative Meetings format as a full participant.
“We will build a solid bridge between Central Asia and the South Caucasus, paving the way for the formation of a unified space of cooperation, which will undoubtedly strengthen the strategic interconnectedness and resilience of both regions. I sincerely thank all my esteemed colleagues for adopting this important decision and congratulate Ilham Heydarovich on Azerbaijan’s accession to the consultative meetings format as a full-fledged participant,” Mirziyoyev said.
The agenda of the meeting included discussions on further strengthening regional cooperation, implementing joint projects and initiatives in priority areas, and exchanging views on pressing regional and international political issues.
Following the meeting, the presidents signed the following documents:
1. Joint statement of the heads of state of Central Asia following the VII Consultative Meeting;
2. Appeal of the heads of state of Central Asia to the UN member states on the candidacy of the Kyrgyz Republic for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for the period 2027-2028;
3. Decision on the accession of Azerbaijan as a full participant
in the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central
Asia.
In addition, the following documents were approved by a joint
statement of the heads of state of Central Asia:
1. The concept of regional security, stability and sustainable development in Central Asia;
2. Catalogue of security risks in Central Asia and measures to prevent them for 2026-2028.
The initiative to hold regular Consultative Meetings of regional leaders was proposed by Mirziyoyev at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in September 2017. During Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in this format, more than 20 major events have been held, covering various areas of cooperation.