Samarkand, Uzbekistan: Two-Day conference titled “Central Asia: One Past and a Common Future, Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Mutual Prosperity” has started in historic city of Samarkand on Friday, reports Dispatch News Desk (DND) News Agency.
Addressing at inaugural ceremony, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has said that Central Asian countries must join hands to mitigate challenges and problems being faced by the region.
The host president was of the view that heads of states of Central Asian countries should meet at least once a year by organizing annual meeting of the heads of states of the countries of Central Asia.
President Mirziyoyev said that the solutions of pressing issues of Central Asia lie in uniting the efforts of the Central Asian countries on the basis of the principle of “Collective Responsibility”.
President Mirziyoyev mentioned that trade turnover of Uzbekistan with the regional countries grew in average by 20%, and almost by 70% with some countries since the beginning of this year.
He was of the view that regional problems can only be solved through regional consultation and through joint search for solutions to regional problems.
Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Rashid Alimov while addressing the inaugural session said that SCO has become a region of responsibility, which now includes India and Pakistan. He stated that major economic initiatives are being implemented and new unique opportunities for investors and businesses open up in SCO region.
He said that geographical proximity, good neighborly relations, economic interdependency of member-states contribute to the implementation of promising projects on developing infrastructure, transport and communications.
The Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov while speaking at inaugural session said that the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev believes that there is a need for setting up a new informal advisory platform to review regional issues.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif while addressing the first session stated that Iran religiously opposed to the production and use of such weapons of mass destruction. He demanded dismantling of weapons of mass destruction stating that weapons are destabilizing and undermining global security.
Two-Day conference titled “Central Asia: One Past and a Common Future, Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Mutual Prosperity” has started in historic city of Samarkand on Friday
Two-Day conference titled “Central Asia: One Past and a Common Future, Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Mutual Prosperity” has started in historic city of Samarkand on Friday
He added that the declaration of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Central Asian region is an action based on a sound understanding of security.
It may be mentioned that the European Union (EU) will allocate €1.2 billion in support for sustainable development in Central Asia up to 2020. Before start of Development Conference, the EU Commissioner Neven Mimica said that EU is a key partner of Central Asian states EU is supporting initiatives and reforms that aim at job creation, private sector development, promotion of investments, good governance, water management, the provision of education and health services and border management.
