Summit of Central Asian Heads of State

Summit of the Heads of Central Asian States, official name Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States (English: Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States; Kazakh: Ortalyq Aziya memleket basşylary konsultativtik kezdesu; Kyrgyz: Borbor Aziya memleket basşylary konsultativtik kezdesu; Kyrgyz: Borbor Asia memleket basşylarynynyn consultativedik zholugushuusu; Tajik: Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States). Borbor Asia memleket basşylarynynyn consultativedik zholugushuusu; Tajik. Vohӯriy mashvaratii saroni kishvarҳoi Osiyoi Markazӣ; Turkm. Merkezi Aziýa döwletleriniň baştutanlarynyň konsultatiw duşuşygy; Uzbek. Markaziy Osiyo davlat rahbarlari maslahat uchrashuvi) is an annual summit meeting of the heads (usually presidents) of the five post-Soviet republics of Central (or Central) Asia - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

As a rule, the summit is held in one of these five states in turn. The honorary chairman of the summit is Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev (who does not attend all summits), and the regular chairmanship is passed to the host of the summit.

On August 9, Kazakhstan will host the VI Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States. The summit is scheduled to adopt a document aimed at expanding pentagonal interaction and strengthening the international subjectivity of Central Asia.

Along with Kazakhstani President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev, the summit will be attended by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will also attend the summit as a guest of honor.

At the summit, the leaders discussed the strategic position of Central Asia in the current geopolitical and geo-economic conditions, as well as interaction between the countries of the region, socio-economic opportunities, mutual trade, development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, opportunities in the field of transportation and logistics, Afghanistan, regional security, the environmental crisis caused by the Aral Sea and water resources.

Alisher Tastenov, chief expert of the Asian Studies Department of the Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan, told Anadolu that the meeting in Kazakhstan will determine a new dynamic of multidimensional cooperation, which is a turning point in the development of the region.

Tastenov noted that on the negotiating table will also be issues aimed at improving cooperation, stability and security in the region, including trade and economic partnership, development of transportation and logistics infrastructure.

"At the summit it is planned to adopt the "Strategy for the development of regional cooperation of Central Asia-2024". This conceptual document has been prepared with the aim of expanding five-party interaction and strengthening the international subjectivity of Central Asia," he emphasized.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan plan to move to "full free trade regime"

Interaction between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the two largest economies in Central Asia, is intensifying. This is evidenced by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's official visit to Kazakhstan on the eve of the summit. The two governments, seeking to increase mutual trade turnover to $10 billion, plan to move to a "full free trade regime."

In his speech at the first meeting of the "Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan Expert Council" held before the visit, President of the Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan Yerkin Tukumov noted that the Council is not only a platform for discussion of certain issues, but also a platform aimed at generating ideas in search of effective mechanisms for common development.

Tukumov recalled that relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have entered a new dimension after the "declaration of alliance" signed by the leaders of the two countries in 2022.

He noted the importance of developing cross-border cooperation, in particular by simplifying border control procedures between the two countries.