On 14-15 August, Tashkent hosts the 8th Central Asian Expert Forum “Central Asia – a common space of trust, security and sustainable development”, with the participation of heads and specialists from strategic institutions, research centres and academic circles in Central Asian countries, including the Scientific Centre for Strategic Studies of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
The opening ceremony was attended by heads and representatives of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the International Institute for Central Asia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassadors of Central Asian countries and the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the head of the Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia.
The programme of Forum includes consideration of prospects for deepening regional cooperation and identifying specific measures to promote multifaceted interaction.
Opening the forum, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies Eldor Aripov noted that CAEF is becoming a “laboratory for generating new ideas” to strengthen regional cooperation.
Within the framework of the first session of the forum “New Central Asia: Improving the Architecture of Regional Partnership”, an expert of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Bekdurdy Amansaryev made a report. He stressed that today Central Asia is not just a geographical region, but an emerging space for political dialogue, economic integration and humanitarian rapprochement.
The Turkmen expert spoke in detail about the key areas in which Turkmenistan makes a significant contribution to the development of the region, namely peace and security, transport and logistics connectivity, energy, water issues, ecology and humanitarian cooperation.
In conclusion of the report, B. Amansaryev noted that Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality does not mean isolation, but serves as a platform for peacekeeping initiatives. The country confirms its readiness to further strengthen ties with the fraternal states of Central Asia, develop dialogue and contribute to the formation of a new model of fair and sustainable regional integration.
