Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Distinguished heads of state!

Dear participants of the summit!

I sincerely welcome you at the Seventh Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia.

Welcome to Uzbekistan!

Today is a truly historic day for our fraternal peoples. We are making a principal decision on the accession of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the format of Consultative Meetings as a full-fledged member.

This strategic step fully meets the interests of our peoples, who are firmly bound by a shared history, family ties, spiritual and cultural affinity.

I am firmly convinced that the accession of fraternal Azerbaijan will give the Consultative Meetings a powerful impetus and open new horizons for expanding trade, economic, investment, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation, as well as for developing consolidated solutions on the issues of sustainable development.

In essence, we will build a strong bridge between Central Asia and the South Caucasus, paving the way for the formation of a unified space for cooperation, which will undoubtedly strengthen the strategic connectivity and resilience of both regions.

I would like to sincerely thank all my esteemed colleagues for making this important decision and congratulate President Ilham Aliyev on acceding to the Consultative Meetings format as a full participant.

We welcome the participation of Mr. Kaha Imnadze, Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in this historic summit.

I am confident that in such an inspiring atmosphere today, we will thoroughly exchange views and make crucial decisions on the further advancement of our cooperation.

Dear heads of delegations!

Dear friends!

During the short period since our first meeting, we have traveled a very long way, truly historic in its significance.

Thanks to open dialogue and active joint efforts, we have been able to find effective solutions to a number of pressing issues in our region.

Territorial issues have been finally resolved, border crossings have been opened, mutually beneficial cooperation in the water and energy sectors has been established, transport links have been resumed, favorable conditions have been created for active trade, investment, and humanitarian contacts among our countries.

Today, Central Asia has become a space of dynamic development and fruitful cooperation, which opens up new opportunities for sustainable growth and prosperity.

The region is rapidly integrating into the global economy: its investment attractiveness is growing, export opportunities to third markets are expanding, and transit potential is strengthening.

Last year mutual trade among our countries reached $10.7 billion, the total volume of investment in Central Asia increased by 17 percent.

Our countries are taking systemic measures to ensure security and stability, counter the threats of terrorism and extremism, and cross-border crime.

Strengthening solidarity and the commitment to common development contribute to fostering Central Asia's international standing and enhancing its profile globally.

Engagement as part of "Central Asia Plus" formats has intensified. The region is taking a unified position at high-profile international forums. 

Undoubtedly, with the accession of Azerbaijan to our format, our region's voice in the global community will become yet more significant.

Dear colleagues!

During Uzbekistan's chairmanship, more than 20 major events were held to further enhance the potential of our cooperation.

 The Interregional Cooperation Forum was launched at the deputy prime ministers’ level, and meetings of the heads of defense ministries, heads of special services, and ministers of geology, industry, agriculture, ecology, and culture were held for the first time.

The Central Asian Women Leaders' Dialogue was successfully held in Tashkent. 

All of this clearly demonstrates the systematic strengthening of the institutional foundations and mechanisms of regional partnership.

Taking this opportunity, I express my gratitude to all of you for your support in successfully holding the historically important 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference, which was held for the first time in our region – in the city of Samarkand.

This unique event is undoubtedly yet another confirmation of Central Asia's image as a reliable and significant partner.

Esteemed colleagues!

Amid complex and unpredictable international political processes, strengthening our unity and mutual support is particularly important.

I am convinced that today we are on the threshold of a historic revival of the region as a New Central Asia.

We have set ourselves the task of further strengthening the institutional foundations of our cooperation and developing a coordinated response to the challenges of security and sustainable development. It is important for us to have a clear vision of what the region should look like in 10-20 years. 

In this regard, I would like to put forward a number of proposals.

Firstly. Further improvement of the mechanisms and legal framework of our engagement is of fundamental importance.

The times demand that we transform our meetings from a consultative format of regional dialogue into a strategic format "The Community of Central Asia." 

To this end, we propose developing a Regulation on Consultative Meetings, providing for the consistent strengthening of the institutional and organizational foundations of the format; establishing a Secretariat operating on a rotating basis; elevating the status of national coordinators to Special Representatives of the Presidents.

Furthermore, based on our values and traditions of public diplomacy, we believe it would be appropriate to create a Council of Elders consisting of renowned public figures with extensive life experience. We believe this will contribute to generational continuity in our countries, as well as
to strengthening regional solidarity and identity.

Secondly. Achieving a qualitatively new level of trade, economic, and investment cooperation remains a priority.

The potential for mutual trade and the overall foreign trade of the region’s countries can ensure at least 1.5-2-fold increase in the medium term. 

I believe measures to eliminate administrative barriers, simplify tax and customs procedures, and promote the joint use of free economic and industrial zones are long overdue.

In our view, the development and adoption of a Comprehensive Regional Program for Trade and Economic Cooperation until 2035, covering the above-mentioned areas, will create favorable conditions for a significant increase in trade volumes.

We believe that in the near future, it is especially important to adopt
a Declaration on a Common Investment Space. This would strengthen the general principles of our investment policy, ensure comprehensive protection of investors' rights, and create the preconditions for the development of a unified investment climate in our vast region.

We believe it is important to fulfill the potential and new opportunities in e-commerce. According to various estimates, the e-commerce market in Central Asia alone could grow to $150 billion in the next decade. 

In this regard, it would be beneficial to develop a Program of Joint Measures for the Development of Electronic Commerce, which will harmonize our approaches and facilitate the creation of virtual trading platforms and reliable digital payment systems.

Thirdly. The joint development of high-tech regional infrastructure and transport and logistics potential is of paramount importance for the future of the region.

We propose to consolidate efforts to implement strategically significant regional projects for the construction and modernization of power plants, transmission lines, highways and railways, border crossing points, green corridors, fiber-optic lines, and others.

In order to strengthen interregional transport connectivity, we prioritize projects such as the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, as well as the Trans-Afghan Transport Corridor.

Trans-Caspian routes linking the region with European countries offer huge opportunities. 

To coordinate work in these areas, we believe it would be appropriate to establish an Infrastructure Development Council at the level of deputy prime ministers of our countries.

Fourthly. The prosperity and well-being of our region directly depend on our efforts to ensure regional security and stability.

I am confident that the Concept of Regional Security and Stability, as well as the Catalogue of Risks and Threats, adopted today will significantly enhance the effectiveness of our cooperation in this area.

The situation in Afghanistan, which directly influences the security and sustainable development of the entire region, deserves special attention.

We firmly believe that Afghanistan's integration into our infrastructure, energy, and transport projects should become an integral part of our overall regional policy.

I take this opportunity to express my special gratitude for your support of the recently held Fergana Peace Forum. We would like to transform this expert platform, which promotes close communication and strengthens mutual trust in our region, into a regular International Forum. 

Fifthly. We should maintain focus on the issues of ecology, climate, and water scarcity. 

The Concept for Green Development of Central Asia was presented at the first Samarkand Climate Forum. We count on your support in adopting this document.

Considering the growing water shortage in the region and its negative consequences for sustainable development, we propose declaring 2026-2036 a "Decade of practical actions for rational use of water in Central Asia."

We believe it is important to actively engage neighboring Afghanistan in the regional dialogue on the shared use of water resources in the Amu Darya basin.

Effective water management is impossible without investment in the professional training of relevant personnel. 

To this end, we intend to establish a Regional Water Management Competence Center under the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers.

As you know, we are hosting the World Water Efficiency Forum in our country next year. We look forward to your support and active participation.

Dear participants!

Expanding cultural and humanitarian cooperation fully meets the shared aspirations of our fraternal peoples.

For millennia, our region has been a center of world civilization, the birthplace of great ideas, and mutual cultural and spiritual enrichment.

Yesterday, we visited the Islamic Civilization Center. This is a unique platform for generating scientific knowledge and ideas, conducting research, and promoting our shared cultural and historical heritage.

We hope that the Center will become a magnet for our youth, their scientific and spiritual enlightenment.

Yesterday Tashkent also hosted the first International Congress
on Spiritual Heritage and Enlightenment. I believe such meetings should become regular. We propose make the Congress an annual event to be hosted by the country chairing the format.

In this context, we count on your support for Uzbekistan's initiative to adopt a Special Resolution of the UN General Assembly dedicated to the contribution of prominent scientists and thinkers from our region to the development of global enlightenment.

We also advocate for the establishment of a Scientific Research Fund. This would enable us to finance interstate scientific projects, stimulate and encourage the academic community, strengthen the region's intellectual potential, and expand our capabilities to implement artificial intelligence technologies to address the priority socioeconomic development challenges of our countries.

Dear friends!

The documents adopted today and the initiatives put forward embody our shared goal of building a sustainable, secure, and prosperous Central Asia.

I would like to especially emphasize that our strength is in unity, our path to success is in friendship and cooperation. 

Only by uniting, building on mutual respect, solidarity and strategic vision, can we achieve our noble goals. 

Dear colleagues!

I would like to once again express my sincere gratitude for your statements, which were open and collaborative, and for the constructive ideas and concrete action plans you put forward.

I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their warm words about Uzbekistan and our people, regarding the reforms being carried out in our country, and our chairmanship.

Undoubtedly, the implementation of all your proposals will make a worthy contribution to strengthening friendship, mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation in Central Asia.

Dear friends!

I take this opportunity to sincerely congratulate the President of Turkmenistan, the esteemed Serdar Berdimuhamedov, on assuming the chairmanship of the Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in 2026, which will be held in the new "Central Asia and Azerbaijan" format.

We stand ready to fully support Turkmenistan's efforts during their upcoming chairmanship and wish every success in this endeavor.