At the Fifth Anniversary Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, held in Dushanbe, the leaders discussed the need to actively promote the solution of regional problems based on mutual trust, respect, and consideration of each other’s interests. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed developing an Interstate Program to protect and strengthen the borders of Central Asian countries, as the close relationship between transnational organized crime and terrorism, including drug trafficking, is a matter of concern for the region.
In order to effectively combat cross-border crimes in Central Asia, an integrated approach is needed to counter the challenges associated with cross-border threats. This would involve the development and adoption of a unified and consolidated policy in protecting state borders from cross-border challenges, and the promotion of regional cross-border cooperation through the creation of border outposts, border interaction offices, port control groups, and interdepartmental mobile groups.
The initiatives proposed at the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia demonstrate that the process of regional cooperation has acquired a sustainable, progressive, and irreversible character.
Sarvar Rakhmatullayev,
Leading Researcher at the International Institute for Central Asia