Outcomes of Turkmen – Kyrgyz talks held in Ashgabat prove the opinions of experts about formation of new dynamics in the sphere of regional cooperation and integration in Central Asia. Considerable number of signed documents includes the Agreement between the governments of two countries on production cooperation and the Program of trade and economic cooperation for 2021 – 2023, Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation of profile organizations in the sphere of natural protection and Memorandum of Understanding between energy departments and other important documents. Proposal made by President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov to consolidate high quality of Turkmen textile and capabilities of Kyrgyz sewing industry was one of practical examples of synergy of the economies of the region.
Contracts on supply of plumbing, vegetables and food to total amount of more than 21 million US dollars have been signed at Kyrgyz – Turkmen economic forum on June 27. It was also decided to develop cooperation between entrepreneurs of two countries in production of clothes and footwear, investment activity and import and export operations. The fact that right after the visit of Kyrgyz delegation, goods of Turkmen entrepreneurs were sent to Bishkek, speaks about intent of the partners to implement reached agreements. For example, official website of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan informs that «DERÝAPLASTIK» Business Entity has shipped its production – various sanitary and ceramic items and boilers to the Kyrgyz Republic.
Activation and expansion of bilateral cooperation of Central Asian states supports development of regional integration in general, especially in such important spheres as energy, transport and ecology. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov highlighted that the talks that cooperation of Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan is an important factor of stability and positive development of processes in Central Asia, which is seen to the partners as prosperous region free from conflicts and attractive for wide international cooperation in political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian sphere.
The importance of consolidating trends and partnership relations in Central Asia, first of all for the nations, is highlighted by competent international structures. The experts of the World Bank highlight that Central Asian countries are united not only by geographic location but also by common heritage and, which is more important, common vision of the future. Therefore, the World Bank puts more efforts to review the problems of development of Central Asian countries through the prism of entire region.
Such approach implies the support of transboundary cooperation and exchange of knowledge as well as intensification of the dialog and provision of closer cooperation between the countries. Highlighting that Central Asia countries are among the most vulnerable countries of Europe and Central Asia to the climate change, the Bank actively supports timely exchange of practice and knowledge accumulated on national and international levels, detection of gaps in information and intensification of cooperation to review common regional problems.
The European Union thinks it is important that Central Asia Region remains stable and use its capabilities of connecting link of Europe and Asia. According to high-rank representatives, European investors want to look at Central Asia not like of the market of five separate countries (six including Afghanistan) but like on common market with 60 – 70 and even 100 million residents. The vision of Central Asia as a single region, which people are united by close ties of political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, is clearly expressed in 5+1 format in the dialog not only with the EU but also with USA, Japan and South Korea.
The countries of the region has political will and readiness to solve the issues related to their interrelations together, in particular, the issues of delimitation and demarcation of the borders, rational use of water resources based on common long-term interests, countering climate changes, coordination of efforts aimed at support of achievement of peace, national harmony and economic restoration of Afghanistan. such format of political communication as Consulting meeting of the heads of Central Asian states, which according to the head of Turkmenistan represents new stage in multidimensional cooperation of five countries, has been made for this purpose.
The first such meeting has been held in the capital of Kazakhstan in March 2018 and the second in Tashkent in November 2019, at which the regulation of these meetings once per year has been adopted. The third consulting meeting of the heads of Central Asian countries was planned to be held in Bishkek last year but was re-scheduled to 2021 and will be held in Turkmenistan due to the coronavirus pandemics. Central Asia summit is to provide necessary conditions for stable and sustainable development of the region, creation of effective mechanisms of interregional cooperation and formation of viable schemes and models of integration of Central Asia to the world processes.
Ogulgozel Rejepova