On 11 April 2025, the eighth meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Central Asian countries took place in Almaty.
The meeting was attended by:
- Kazakhstan – Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Kyrgyzstan – Jeenbek Kulubayev, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Russia – Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Tajikistan – Sirodjiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Turkmenistan – Akhmet Gurbanov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Uzbekistan – Bobur Usmanov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
At the meeting, the ministers expressed their appreciation for the strong and multifaceted cooperation between their countries, based on their shared approaches to key issues such as regional and global security. They discussed ways to strengthen this cooperation and ensure stability in the region.
The prospects for partnership in the six-party format in the trade and industrial sphere, the green economy, water conservation, transport and logistics connectivity were discussed based on the initiatives and proposals put forward during the Russia-Central Asia summit in Astana in 2022.
Over the past period, extensive work has been carried out in this area through a wide range of ministries and departments of the six countries. A significant list of joint tasks and proposals was developed to be approved by the heads of state during their next summit.
A traditional discussion was held on how to increase cooperation in resolving pressing issues on the international agenda, including security in the Central Asian region and Russia, due to persisting terrorist, extremist and drug threats.
Special focus was placed on explaining the introduction of measures to prevent illegal migration into Russian legislation to Central Asian partners.
Following the event, it was announced that a draft Joint Action Plan for 2025-2027 had been finalized. The document is expected to be submitted to the heads of state during the Second Central Asia-Russia Summit, scheduled for the second half of this year.
Trade turnover between Russia and Central Asia grows
Trade between Russia and Central Asia has seen significant growth. In his speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, emphasized the positive results achieved by countries in the region in various areas of cooperation.
The increase in trade between Central Asia and Russia is evident in the steady growth of interregional trade. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, the volume of trade amounted to $44.7 billion in 2024, an increase of 11.3% compared to 2023.
Nurtleu highlighted several projects as examples of successful cooperation, including the transit of Russian gas through Kazakhstan to Central Asian countries, the construction and modernization of electricity facilities, the development of international transportation routes, as well as the reconstruction and expansion of road and railway networks.
He emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to unlock existing potential, maintain the momentum of cooperation, search for new areas of growth, and ensure regional security. Nurtleu stressed the need to preserve partnerships based on trust, mutual respect, and shared historical ties.///nCa, 11 April 2025