The second consultative meeting of the heads of Central Asian states in Tashkent becomes possible thanks to the common political will of the presidents, Sanjar Valiyev, the deputy director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS) under the President of Uzbekistan, told Kun.uz correspondent. 

Initially, a meeting of leaders of Central Asian countries was planned to be held in April. The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, during the first consultative meeting in Astana in March 2018, proposed his colleagues to meet annually on the eve of Navruz and invited everyone to Tashkent in 2019. This year, the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who was absent at the last meeting, will also join the summit.

“Holding of the current consultative meeting is, first of all, a result of the common political will of all heads of state. The countries of the region demonstrate their commitment to further strengthening regional cooperation,” Valiyev said.

He pointed out that such major events as the election of a new President in Kazakhstan, the summit of the CIS heads of state and the meeting of the Turkic Council, affected the schedule of the consultative meeting.

“This is a very positive event, we can say that it is one of the fruits of a new atmosphere of good neighborhood and cooperation in the region,” he added.

The agenda of the upcoming meeting, which will be held on November 29, includes issues of trade-economic and investment cooperation, development of transport infrastructure, scientific-technical and cultural-humanitarian cooperation.