Kabar News Agency Bishkek, June 16 - During an exclusive interview with Kabar News Agency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Zhamirbek Kurubayev, talked about the upcoming "Central Asia-China" summit to be held in Astana. This summit is one of the main political events of the year.
With the current complex international relations background, preparations are underway for the second "Central Asia-China" summit. The global trade war continues, but at the same time, the "Silk Road" is being revived, and our region is one of its key pillars. From the perspective of stabilizing Central Asia and regional economic development, how important is the upcoming meeting in Astana?
Firstly, it should be emphasized that the Kyrgyz Republic highly values the dynamic, mutually beneficial cooperation under the "Central Asia-China" cooperation mechanism. This mechanism has become an important platform for deepening regional integration, strengthening mutual trust, and implementing joint projects.
In the current international situation, the second "Central Asia-China" summit to be held in Astana holds special significance. We live in a time of increased geopolitical turbulence, rising trade barriers, and the reconfiguration of global commodity and capital flows. However, it is precisely at such moments that constructive dialogue, strengthened regional cooperation, and the search for common growth points are needed more than ever.
Historically, Central Asia was the crossroads of civilizations, and today we are once again becoming a key link in the revived Silk Road. China is one of our most important strategic partners, and the "Central Asia-China" cooperation mechanism opens up broad prospects for building balanced, mutually beneficial, and sustainable cooperation.
For the Kyrgyz Republic, ensuring peace, stability, and gradual development in this region is crucial. The Astana summit will take the form of discussions on various economic projects, expanding cultural and educational exchanges, and other cooperation directions.
In summary, I would like to point out that Kyrgyzstan is prepared to actively contribute to the implementation of common initiatives, which will enhance connectivity between our countries, improve the investment environment, and most importantly, bring tangible benefits to the people of our countries.
Of course, economic development projects form the foundation of enriching the substantive content of bilateral relations. The revival of the Silk Road is also about developing transportation infrastructure, logistics centers, improving energy capacity, and production bases. Consistency among all parties' positions is very important in multilateral mechanisms. It is not easy in great power politics...
Thank you for your question. Indeed, Central Asia is a region with great potential, rich history, and strategic significance. As part of this region, Kyrgyzstan consistently strives to strengthen regional cooperation, fully aware that sustainable development can only be achieved under conditions of stability, trust, and mutually beneficial partnerships.
We continue to strive to promote economic and trade investments between Kyrgyzstan and China, and most importantly, seek new cooperation opportunities. Economic and trade cooperation is the main catalyst for promoting overall bilateral relations.
Our policy is built on the principle of mutually beneficial partnerships. Regional integration not only does not contradict national sovereignty but also strengthens the position of each country, including Kyrgyzstan. Achieving a balance between regional cooperation and safeguarding national interests is an ongoing process.
The most important and promising areas of cooperation include infrastructure, transportation, energy, processing industries, agriculture, tourism, and border cooperation.
Special attention is paid to the development of transportation and logistics hubs, especially considering Kyrgyzstan's strategic location as a bridge connecting East and West. We participate in the construction of railway and highway routes under initiatives such as the "Western Europe-Western China" international transport corridor.
Under the framework of the "Belt and Road" initiative, a series of practical measures have been taken to improve infrastructure and trade links. A vivid example is the launch of the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. This project has international significance and should become an important step in unleashing the transit potential of the region.
After a long and arduous negotiation process, we have entered the actual implementation phase of this grand project. On December 27, 2024, the project officially started construction, which is an event of significant symbolic and economic importance.
Improving the transportation system will attract more international transit traffic, significantly increase trade volumes, and activate the regional economy. Developing infrastructure together not only brings socio-economic effects but also strengthens inter-regional connections.
Kyrgyzstan consistently strives to strengthen regional partnerships based on trust, mutual respect, and friendly neighborliness. We welcome any initiative conducive to the common development of Central Asia—whether through bilateral or multilateral mechanisms.
Many global participants have adopted the formula "C5+..." (Central Asia Five Plus...) when engaging in dialogue with Central Asian countries. What are its advantages and disadvantages? How convenient is this communication format? How has it developed?
The "Central Asia Five Plus" mechanism has become an important and increasingly popular form of interaction between countries in the region and global partners. The "Central Asia+" platform is becoming a stable tool for international dialogue, which is logical: regional cohesion is increasing, and world partners are increasingly viewing Central Asia as a unified and strategically important space. The joint participation of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan has formed a unified regional voice, enhancing their weight on the international stage.
The key advantage of this format lies in the ability to speak on behalf of the entire region, discuss common challenges, and coordinate positions on important issues. This enhances our collective voice and elevates the importance of Central Asia in global politics and economics. Additionally, this mechanism helps attract investment in infrastructure, green energy, and other priority industries, allowing for discussions on pressing issues in trade, transportation, energy, and security.
The Kyrgyz Republic supports the development of such formats. When cooperation considers regional characteristics and the opinions of all participants, this format becomes convenient. For Kyrgyzstan, this mechanism aligns with its multilateral foreign policy philosophy and provides opportunities to promote national interests.
The challenges include limited institutionalization of the mechanism and differences in national interests within the region. However, we all have an interest in making this platform not just a place for declarations but also an arena for taking action. It is important that external initiatives do not supersede regional interests. We advocate for respectful, transparent dialogue based on the actual needs of Central Asian countries.
In general, the success of the "Central Asia Five Plus" mechanism will depend on the ability of Central Asian countries to establish equal and pragmatic relations with external partners and implement joint projects.
As is well known, China is one of the main trading partners for all Central Asian countries. How extensive is the vision of our economic cooperation? Clearly, its potential has yet to be fully realized.
We are conducting fruitful cooperation in almost all areas of life, particularly, economic and trade cooperation is one of the key areas of interaction between Kyrgyzstan and China.
China is one of the largest trading partners of Kyrgyzstan. We have successfully implemented joint projects in multiple fields. Chinese companies are actively investing in various sectors of Kyrgyzstan's economy, such as energy, mining, tourism, and transportation.
The scope of interactions between Kyrgyzstan and China is very broad, and we will continue to work together with the Chinese side to expand and strengthen mutually beneficial, comprehensive cooperation. Of course, our country is also successfully developing ties within multiple regional organizations and alliances.
We are willing to actively utilize the geographical proximity with China and other Central Asian countries to develop economic and trade exchanges, cultural exchanges, e-commerce, digitalization, agriculture, and build logistics centers in Kyrgyzstan.
In general, it can be confidently said that all parties are interested in the comprehensive constructive development of the region. We will strive to continue open dialogue on all cooperation issues.
Of course, I would also like to know what to expect from the upcoming meeting in Astana? How full will the high-level summit agenda be? Are there any important joint decisions being prepared?
We look forward to the meeting between leaders of Central Asia and China in Astana with great interest. We believe that this summit will be rich in both political dialogue and practical results.
The final agenda of the meeting is currently being prepared by the inviting party (Kazakhstan), and as I mentioned earlier, issues of interaction in political, economic, cultural, and other cooperation directions will be discussed. Moreover, I believe that the multilateral agenda—including in the context of changes in the current world order—will occupy an important place in the discussions.
It is expected that a series of joint documents reflecting the common aspirations of all parties to deepen their partnership will be adopted after the summit, which will also clearly outline the key directions of future cooperation.
The Kyrgyz Republic actively participates in the preparation of the summit and hopes that its outcomes will be maximized and oriented towards the long term. We view this mechanism as an important platform for advancing the interests of the entire region, especially the economic interests and diplomatic policy priorities of Kyrgyzstan.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7516424016349889035/
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