Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – On 12 October, the sixth Central Asian Expert Forum “Central Asia: Features of Interaction” was held in Bishkek, organized by the National Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (NISI) with the assistance of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA).

The forum was attended by about 60 experts and scientists representing academic institutions and think tanks of Central Asian countries, representatives of the government, ministries and departments, the media, as well as heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations.

The countries of Central Asia were represented by experts from leading research centers in the region - the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Center for Strategic Studies of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

The Uzbek side was represented by experts from the International Institute of Central Asia (MICA) and the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISMI).

The forum discussed issues related to deepening cooperation between the countries of Central Asia, as well as the development of regional cooperation in the context of the consequences of climate change, rational water use, security, etc.

At the same time, experts highly appreciated the growing number of countries establishing partnerships with our region in the “CA+” format, which demonstrates the active involvement of the region in global relations.

In this regard, during the event, experts advocated for further strengthening relations between countries, outlining the need to institutionalize regional cooperation in order to integrate all of Central Asia.

As part of the discussions, participants made a number of proposals that were aimed at strengthening the interconnectedness of the region. The main ones among them are:

- creation of a development strategy for Central Asia based on common values;

- development of industrial production and consistent reduction in exports of mineral resources and agricultural products;

- formation of new transport corridors and simplification of the movement of people and goods between the states of Central Asia (including the abolition of visa requirements);

- work on issues of strengthening regional identity.

The holding of the next expert forum ensured an open and constructive exchange of views between representatives of the scientific community and experts from Central Asian countries, and contributed to the development of practical proposals to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between the states of the region.