President of Uzbekistan outlines priorities of full-scale cooperation between Central Asia and Russia

On October 9, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the second “Central Asia-Russia” summit held in the city of Dushanbe.

The event, chaired by President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, was attended by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

In accordance with the agenda, issues of further development of multilateral partnership, expansion of cooperation in the political, trade, economic, investment, and cultural-humanitarian spheres, as well as topical aspects of the international and regional agenda were discussed.

At the beginning of his speech, the Head of our state expressed his gratitude to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin for his commitment to developing a full-scale strategic partnership with Central Asia, supporting initiatives aimed at giving new momentum to the interaction between our countries, which are natural partners.

- Russia has been, is, and will always be a key strategic partner and ally for us. The solid, unshakable foundation for this cooperation is our shared history, centuries-old ties, the cultural and mental closeness of our people, and the friendly and trusting relations between our countries, - said the leader of Uzbekistan.

It was noted that growing geopolitical tensions and crises in the global economy, as well as emerging new challenges and threats, require closer coordination and cooperation between Central Asia and Russia.

In this context, the leader of Uzbekistan outlined his vision for the prospects of cooperation between the countries of the region and Russia.

First and foremost, the importance of strengthening systemic political dialogue and expanding practical cooperation focused on specific results was emphasized. In this context, the President of Uzbekistan advocated holding annual summit meetings and regular contacts between governments, ministries, departments, and regions.

Expressing support for the adoption of the Joint Action Plan until 2027, the President of Uzbekistan proposed to prepare a more detailed roadmap with specific measures to deepen practical cooperation.

In order to ensure the timely implementation of instructions, preparation and acceleration of programs and projects of regional significance, the importance of establishing a Coordination Council at the level of deputy heads of government was noted.

The main focus of the region's joint work with Russia should be a fundamental expansion of economic partnership. The positive dynamics of mutual trade indicators were noted with satisfaction. In particular, based on the results of last year and this year, Uzbekistan's trade turnover with Russia and countries in the region has grown by 15 percent.

It was proposed that, within the framework of the above-mentioned Coordination Council, comprehensive measures should be developed to increase trade turnover.

This involves facilitating mutual access to commodity markets, simplifying procedures, and launching the “Agroexpress Central Asia-Russia” project.

The President of Uzbekistan also stressed the vital importance of the effective use of the transit and transport potential of our countries, primarily within the framework of the North-South corridor.

- We are advocating the alignment of national programs in the field of road, rail, and air transport and the development of a comprehensive infrastructure partnership plan on this basis - the transport and logistics contour of our countries. The ultimate goal should be to create an integrated, interconnected regional transport infrastructure that is resilient to external challenges, - noted the President.

Another priority area is the establishment of sustainable production chains and deepening of industrial cooperation. In this context, it was noted that today Uzbekistan is actively expanding industrial partnership with leading Russian companies, implementing major strategic projects in the gas chemical industry, and creating a modern copper enrichment hub.

At the same time, it was pointed to the enormous potential for expanding cooperation in the fields of mechanical engineering, precision instrument making, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mining and other industries on a cluster basis.

To stimulate innovation-oriented cooperation between leading enterprises and the private sector, creation of the “Central Asia – Russia” Industrial Engineering Hub in Bukhara has been initiated, which could become a unique technological platform for developing, implementing, and replicating advanced engineering solutions.

The leader of our country noted the importance of maximizing the potential of the “Innoprom. Central Asia” exhibition and forum in Tashkent.

The fifth exhibition, held in April this year, brought together over 10 thousand participants from 35 countries. Deals worth $5 billion were concluded. It was proposed to give this event the status of the main industrial and innovation platform in the format of the “Central Asia-Russia” dialogue.

As the President of Uzbekistan emphasized, energy cooperation with Russia will continue to be a factor of stability and sustainability in the region. Strategic projects are currently being implemented, including the development of gas pipelines and energy infrastructure.

- A historic event will take place in the coming days – the launch of joint projects to build the first reactor unit of a future nuclear power plant and a multifunctional nuclear medicine center in Uzbekistan, - said the President.

It was proposed to establish broad scientific and practical cooperation in this area – to establish a Regional Competence Center for nuclear energy in Uzbekistan, as well as to adopt a training program based at the Tashkent branch of the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute.

It was also announced that there are plans to expand cooperation in the exploration and processing of hydrocarbons, modernization of the electric power industry, and implementation of energy-efficient solutions.

In order to transfer advanced knowledge and technologies, prepare and promote joint projects, it was noted that it would be advisable to develop a comprehensive program called “Energy Partnership between Central Asia and Russia”.

In the field of innovation, it was proposed to open branches of the Skolkovo Center in the countries of the region.

The need to establish a Regional Expert Council on artificial intelligence and digital technologies was also noted, which would consolidate efforts and establish project cooperation at the level of leading centers, organizations, and IT companies.

In order to increase humanitarian cooperation, an annual ethno-cultural forum has been initiated – the Festival of Culture, Art and Creativity of the people of Central Asia and Russia.

In addition, it was proposed to launch a scientific and educational consortium “Engineers of the Future”, designed to combine the potential of leading universities and research institutions to introduce a dual and vocational education system and implement fundamental scientific developments. It was noted that the intellectual base of the Consortium could be provided by the successfully operating branches of Russian universities in the countries of the region. There are already 15 such branches in Uzbekistan.

It was also proposed to establish a special grant program for young researchers and scientists from Central Asia and Russia.

To develop comprehensive cooperation, the relevance of adopting programs in the field of child and maternal health, promoting social adaptation in the field of labor migration, and expanding tourist flows based on regional routes was highlighted.

The President of Uzbekistan separately focused on issues of regional security.

- We consider it important to further strengthen close cooperation between special services and law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism, extremism, radicalism, organized crime, human trafficking, and drug trafficking. We propose to jointly develop measures to counter new cyber threats and challenges, - said the leader of our country.

In order to coordinate approaches to expanding cooperation and promoting the socio-economic development of Afghanistan, it was proposed to consider the possibility of holding high-level consultations.

The agenda of such meetings could include issues of cooperation in the field of security, implementing economic projects aimed at ensuring stability and development of this country.

At the conclusion of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan reiterated his commitment to further expanding multifaceted cooperation with Russia in the interests of ensuring security, sustainable development, and prosperity for all countries in the region.

Leaders of other countries also spoke at the summit.

Following the event, a Joint Communiqué and a Joint Action Plan for 2025–2027 were adopted to further develop cooperation in priority areas.