Umarov sees Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as the region’s closest partners, “which is a good thing as it would be much easier to add other countries to the existing strong partnership initiatives between the two biggest economies of Central Asia.”Īnnual consultations among the five leaders are “a huge leap forward,” he added. Tashkent-based scholar Farkhad Tolipov said the leaders “see the need for stronger collaboration now, and this should lead to homegrown institutional frameworks.” As of now, he asserted, the region leans into Russia- and China-led blocs. It was not like that several years ago.”Ĭentral Asian leaders meet at a summit in Kyrgyzstan on July 21, 2022: Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Tajikistan's Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyzstan's Sadyr Japarov, Turkmenistan's Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev. “Political leaders are interested at least in thinking together about what the region’s future might look like. Umarov said increasing discourse about closer cooperation reflects dynamism. “Three out of five countries sealing oral promises with some sort of a document is movement in the right direction.” “Still, this should still be a starting point,” said Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Turkmenistan’s closed economy imposes barriers to cooperation. “I hope this treaty will serve as the reliable basis for common prosperity in Central Asia.”īut Turkmenistan and Tajikistan are not yet on board and say they still are reviewing the document.Ĭentral Asia experts suspect that the two nations’ authoritarian leaders are reluctant to be bolder, compared to the more confident Kazakh, Uzbek and Kyrgyz presidents. Japarov urged his fellow leaders to sign a proposed pact on friendship, good neighborly relations and cooperation. “I want to confirm that we have a strong will to complete these negotiations on mutual agreements,” he said, promising to create “transnational bridges of peace, friendship, and trust.” Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov admitted his country still must solve border disputes with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
“We call on our partners to actively use the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railroad, the shortest route between East Asia and the Persian Gulf,” he said. He said Kazakhstan is also ready to participate in the construction of a railroad from Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan through Kabul to Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. He said his government is committed to developing a Trans-Caspian corridor stretching from China and Kazakhstan across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and parts of Eastern Europe. Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev maintained that Central Asia has yet to unleash its transport and logistical potential. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, speaks at the Central Asian leaders' summit in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, July 21, 2022. Like his colleagues, he pledged closer partnership on transport, communications and water resources. Turkmenistan’s new leader, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, struck a similar note, saying, “In the context of the extreme aggravation of the world situation, we need to preserve unity and solidarity.” Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, whose government worries about possible sleeper cells in Afghanistan, said the five nations must work together against “threats of terrorism, extremism, drugs and arms trafficking, cybercrime and other forms of cross-border organized crime.” Observers note that the governments tend to blame bloodshed on “foreign elements.” While publicly silent on Russia’s war in Ukraine and recent civil protests that turned violent in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the leaders also agreed to forge a network of security and intelligence services. Mirziyoyev and the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan emphasized progress made on economic ties and connectivity, climate and green energy, tourism, water sharing and hydropower investments. This is allowing us to expand trade and investment” in the region of more than 77 million people, the majority under age 45. “We have active cultural and tourism exchanges now.
#Integrated age of water free
“We have removed many barriers to the free flow of goods and people,” he said.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed the positive at the July 21 summit in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, claiming that regional dialogue has created a constructive environment for multidimensional cooperation. Analysts say the five must still build trust while balancing ties with Russia and China. The leaders of Central Asia’s five nations edged toward closer cooperation but remain well short of the integrated community that has been a goal in the region for decades.