In his speech, the Head of State expressed gratitude to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov, for the traditionally warm welcome and the initiative to hold an informal meeting.
"The Kazakhs and Kyrgyz are fraternal peoples. We are bound by a common origin and destiny. Friendship, trust, kinship, and mutual support between us are sacred treasures and eternal values inherited from our ancestors. Today, Kyrgyzstan is demonstrating impressive growth rates. We sincerely welcome all your achievements. The prosperity of the Kyrgyz state is the key to stability and sustainable development throughout Central Asia. Undoubtedly, these achievements were made possible thanks to the wise leadership and tireless efforts of the esteemed President Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov," the President of Kazakhstan stated.
According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, this meeting is a good opportunity to discuss pressing issues on the current agenda and identify future priorities for multilateral partnership.
"The intensity of contacts at all levels clearly demonstrates our countries' shared desire for constructive cooperation for the well-being of our fraternal peoples and the prosperity of the entire region. A major achievement in this regard was the completion of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighborliness, and Cooperation for the Development of Central Asia in the 21st Century. This historic document marks a new milestone in our strategic partnership, establishing a political framework for regional cooperation based on mutual trust, respect, and responsibility for the shared future of our fraternal peoples," the President of Kazakhstan emphasized.
The head of state thanked the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov for joining the Treaty.
"I believe the next step could be the practical implementation of the provisions of this document. In this regard, I propose developing and subsequently adopting an Action Plan with clear guidelines for our long-term cooperation, aimed at further strengthening friendship and good-neighborliness, and enhancing trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation. It is safe to say that, thanks to the strengthening of mutual trust and the consistent development of regional cooperation, Central Asia is currently experiencing the most successful period in its modern history," noted Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The President stated that Azerbaijan's accession as a full participant in the Consultative Meetings marked a new stage in the positive evolution of this format.
"Thanks to our joint efforts, conditions are being created for further deepening political dialogue, expanding cooperation in investment, energy, industry, and the formation of a unified transport and logistics system. In recent years, intraregional trade has steadily increased, business ties are expanding, joint ventures are being established, investment projects are being implemented, and humanitarian contacts are strengthening. Cultural, educational, and youth exchanges are being enriched with new content. All these positive results contribute to the further rapprochement of our fraternal peoples and the strengthening of the region's international prestige," said the Head of State.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that Central Asia's role in global processes is steadily growing, and the region's voice is becoming increasingly loud and influential on the world stage.
"Kyrgyzstan's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council is a clear confirmation of this. I take this opportunity to congratulate the President of Kyrgyzstan, the esteemed Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov, and the entire Kyrgyz people on this historic achievement," the President of Kazakhstan noted.
The head of state reported that all fundamental issues of cooperation between the countries of the region were thoroughly discussed at last year's meeting in Tashkent.
"The initiatives expressed at that time, including those on the institutional development of the Consultative Meetings, remain relevant and require close collaboration to implement them. Kazakhstan is committed to the agreements reached and aims to further advance creative initiatives aimed at strengthening the ties of friendship, good-neighborliness, and strategic partnership between our countries. I am confident that through joint efforts, we will achieve even greater positive results on the path to shared progress. In conclusion, I wish our Turkmen friends and brothers success in the upcoming events within the Consultative Meetings," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev concluded.
The meeting also featured speeches by President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Following the informal Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, the Cholpon-Ata Declaration was adopted.
By the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda
