Russia is preparing to host a second summit with the five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—in the near future. This announcement was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a recent address to students and faculty at MGIMO of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Lavrov highlighted the importance of the "Central Asia plus Russia" format, which was established a few years ago. The first summit and several ministerial meetings have already taken place, and the preparation for the next summit is underway.
"The format we created several years ago, Central Asia plus Russia, has been quite productive," Lavrov stated. "We held the first summit and several ministerial meetings. Now, we are gearing up for the second summit in the foreseeable future."
The minister also discussed the ongoing competition for influence in Central Asia among global powers.
"While we cannot prevent other countries from developing relations with Central Asian nations, we acknowledge that there is a competition for influence in the region," Lavrov noted.
He listed various international formats involving Central Asia, including those with the United States, the European Union, Germany, France, Japan, India, Korea, Iran, and Turkey.
Despite this competition, Lavrov emphasized that Russia and the five Central Asian countries maintain a strong mutual understanding regarding their obligations within the CSTO and CIS frameworks. He expressed confidence that while Central Asian nations may engage with Western countries, these interactions do not undermine their existing commitments with Russia.
"When our Central Asian partners and allies engage with the West, it is clear that while the West may have legitimate goals, it also seeks to diminish Russian influence," Lavrov concluded.
Earlier, it was reported that Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover with Russia reached $6.8bn in the first seven months of 2024, reaffirming Russia's status as a key trading partner. This represented a 28.3% increase compared to the $5.3bn recorded during the same period in 2023, reflecting the growing economic ties between the two nations. Russia holds the second spot among Uzbekistan's trade partners, accounting for 18.5% of the country's total foreign trade turnover.
Uzbekistan's exports to Russia saw a boost, growing by 128.4% in 2024, up from the 105.3% growth rate in 2023. This makes Russia Uzbekistan's leading export market, comprising 14.2% of the country's total exports. Key exports included 468,300 tonnes of fruit and vegetable products, valued at $343.9mn, establishing Russia as the top destination for these goods.
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