Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The eighth meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the heads of foreign ministries of the Central Asian states took place in Almaty, according to the press service of the CIS Executive Committee.

The meeting was attended by Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Jeenbek Kulubaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; and Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan. Turkmenistan was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Kurbanov, while Uzbekistan was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Bahrom Usmanov.

Participants praised the multifaceted cooperation among the six countries, which is grounded in the similarity or complete alignment of their positions on key issues of regional and global security.

The discussion focused on the prospects for six-party cooperation in areas such as trade and industrial collaboration, the green economy, rational water use, and the development of transport and logistics infrastructure. These discussions built upon the initiatives put forward at the "Russia–Central Asia" summit held in Astana in 2022. Since that summit, considerable work has been done at the level of relevant ministries and agencies, and a package of joint projects has been prepared for presentation to the heads of state at the upcoming summit.

The parties also exchanged views on strengthening security in Central Asia and Russia in light of ongoing threats such as terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking. Special attention was given to the explanation of new measures in Russian legislation aimed at combating illegal migration.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov briefed his counterparts on the current situation surrounding Ukraine and the status of negotiations between Russia and the United States.

All participants unanimously agreed that the meeting in Almaty marked an important stage in preparations for the next "Russia–Central Asia" summit, which is scheduled for the second half of 2024.

The negotiations reaffirmed the parties’ commitment to deepening dialogue and implementing joint initiatives in the interest of regional stability and development.