BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 4. The opening session of Termiz Dialogue on Connectivity between Central and South Asia highlighted discussions on regional connectivity, economic cooperation, transport corridors, energy links, climate resilience, and cultural and humanitarian engagement as key pillars of interregional integration, Trend reports via the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan.
Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies, described the Termiz Dialogue as a practical implementation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiative to strengthen connectivity between Central and South Asia. He noted that the concept has received broad international support, including a 2022 UN General Assembly resolution that established a long-term legal foundation for transregional cooperation.
Aripov said the platform has already produced tangible results, contributing to trust-building and the development of practical initiatives involving governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society.
The agenda of the second session is structured around four main tracks, including political dialogue and economic connectivity, climate resilience, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Particular attention is being given to expanding trade, developing transport corridors, and strengthening energy cooperation across the region.
During the session was emphasized that economic interdependence plays a stabilizing role, helping reduce the risk of tensions while fostering long-term cooperation through shared interests and production networks.
Climate challenges were also a major focus, with participants noting that Central and South Asia remain highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, requiring coordinated regional responses due to the transboundary nature of environmental risks.
The forum also addressed cultural and humanitarian cooperation, highlighting historical ties, shared traditions, and long-standing links between the two regions as a foundation for deeper engagement, and is expected to conclude with a joint communiqué outlining priorities for strengthening cooperation and advancing regional connectivity between Central and South Asia.
More than 150 representatives from political, business, and expert communities, as well as international organizations from Europe, the CIS, South Caucasus, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and the Americas, are participating in the event.
Among the partners are the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the International Water Management Institute, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Berghof Foundation, PeaceNexus, Search for Common Ground, Georgetown University, and others.
The second session of the Termiz Dialogue on Connectivity between Central and South Asia opened in Tashkent on Wednesday, bringing together policymakers, international organizations, and experts under the theme “Peace, Connectivity, Resilience: Shaping the Foundation of Shared Prosperity.” The forum is jointly organized by the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, in partnership with the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
