Photo: Press service of the Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan
The cooperation between Central Asia and the US should focus on unlocking the region’s potential as an “integrated region of new opportunities”, foreign minister of Uzbekistan said. He was speaking at the C5+1 meeting of top diplomats of the US and Central Asian states.
Since foreign ministers of five Central Asian states and the US met for the first time in 2015, the region has grown “stronger, more united and increasingly capable of shaping its own future and contributing to international affairs”. Foreign minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov said this at the C5+1 meeting of foreign ministers and US state secretary Marco Rubio in Samarkand on Monday.
“The next stage of our cooperation should focus not only on expanding bilateral ties, but also on unlocking Central Asia’s potential as an integrated region of new opportunities,” he noted. “This means strengthening economic connectivity, attracting advanced technologies and investments and expanding our access to global markets.”
“We firmly believe that a strong, stable and prosperous Central Asia serves the interest of all our countries and our international partners,” the minister added.
“As one of of our key priorities, we propose advancing a strategic partnership in critical minerals from geological exploration and mineral processing to the establishment of local industrial clusters,” Saidov said.
Central Asia has abundant resources, growing markets, human capital and a strategically important geographic position, while the US brings advanced technologies, investment capital and world-class entrepreneurial expertise, he continued.
“Our shared task is to bring these strengths together and build an enduring partnership that delivers tangible benefits to our peoples,” the minister said.
As Uzbekistan assumes the co-chairmanship in the C5+1 format, it intends to build on the achievements, ensure consistency and focus on translating the agreements into practical results, he stressed.
