In his speech delivered at the fifth Central Asian summit in Dushanbe, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev highly praised the joint efforts to strengthen relations of trust, good neighborliness, and partnership between the region’s countries.
“The main result highlighted is that stability and unity are strengthening in Central Asia. Our region is becoming one of the important centers of economic growth and investment activity, once again regaining its historical role as a transport hub connecting West with East and North with South,” Mirziyoyev said.
He put forward several proposals on the prospects for further expansion of cooperation between the states of Central Asia.
Mirziyoyev, in particular, noted that trade and economic cooperation is the primary driver of regional partnership and integration.
According to him, it is necessary to adopt a comprehensive regional Program that provides for the formation of sustainable trade and logistics chains in the region, the opening and expansion of cross-border trade and cooperation centers, the harmonization of legislation, and the elimination of barriers to mutual trade, the creation of unified electronic platforms for customs administration, sanitary and phytosanitary control, certification of origin of goods, as well as the launch of a regional e-commerce platform.
To further increase the transport potential of the region’s countries, Uzbek leader proposed to develop an Agreement on Transport and Transit in Central Asia, to formulate specific mechanisms for promoting effective transport corridors to enter the markets of China, the countries of South Asia and the Middle East, the European Union using through tariffs, beneficial for business.
Mirziyoyev noted that one of the key factors directly affecting security and stability in Central Asia remains the situation in Afghanistan.
It was noted that Uzbekistan intends to continue to provide the necessary assistance to the Afghan people, to provide for these purposes an International Hub in Termez for humanitarian aid, and to continue training Afghan citizens in a specially created educational center.
It was emphasized that, along with further promoting the Trans-Afghan Railway construction project, the restoration of Afghanistan’s internal transport arteries is in demand.
In addition, the importance of dialogue with the Afghan side on border security, water use, and trade development was noted.
