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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on Central Asia to position itself as a link between Asia and Europe and an independent regional actor in international relations.
In a new commentary, “The Renaissance of Central Asia: Towards Sustainable Development and Prosperity,” the President of Kazakhstan noted that the Central Asian region “is a single geopolitical and spiritual arena, endowed with rich natural resources, strong human resources and an endless cultural and historical heritage.”
Although the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) have been predicted to become “failed states” due to the many challenges they face in modernization, President Tokayev said that “the countries of the region have proven their worth” and have taken their “rightful place” in the international community.
Growing political influence
Tokayev outlined the emergence of a new dialogue platform in the “CA+” format to highlight the region’s growing political influence in international politics, with nine summits and high-level meetings held in this format.
He explained that other countries and international organizations have also shown interest in this form of interaction, with the first summit to be held with Japan later this year.
Adherence to traditional values combined with modernization and advanced knowledge guides the direction of development in Central Asia. From Tokayev’s perspective, today the focus is on strengthening the region’s role as the Eurasian center of international geopolitical and geo-economic transformation.
The five countries in the region have developed pragmatic foreign policy relations strategies and have become full participants in global processes, actively promoting their ideas and projects in multilateral structures or providing funding to influential organizations.
“This allows us to confidently say that the ‘Central Asian Five’ is a group of steadily developing, self-sufficient countries located in the heart of Eurasia,” Tokayev said.
The region has become an area of mutually beneficial cooperation, with flourishing trade, investment, transport and communications potential, which has led to an increase in domestic and mutual trade volumes.
The Central Asian countries will place high priority on establishing joint ventures in sectors such as industry, energy, agriculture, transport and digitalisation, with an action plan to be approved later this year.
Defense and security cooperation
In Tokayev’s vision, the continued complexity of the military and political situation in the Central Asian periphery paves the way for defense policy and security cooperation.
In his opinion piece, the Kazakh president recommended adopting a comprehensive strategy to “address key issues in both traditional and emerging threats” and “actively cooperate with the United Nations and other international and regional organizations.”
This stability creates a safe space for further development of economic potential and deepening of cooperative relations among Central Asian countries. The region now offers opportunities for trade, investment, science and innovation.
Market diversification and expansion
Tokayev said that the region’s concentrated uranium, oil, natural gas and other resources have laid a solid foundation for resisting external shocks and diversifying trade and production cycles.
Further development of transport logistics and transportation hubs could make Central Asia one of the most important regions for global transportation.
New transport corridors, such as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, in which Kazakhstan and its partners are actively participating, can increase transport volumes. Other routes are also being explored, which open doors to promising markets in South Asian and Indian Ocean ports.
Promoting regional cooperation
Tokayev believes that food security and the transition to a green economy are important areas for the region to achieve independence in the face of geopolitical crises and to reduce the negative impact of global climate change.
Tokayev is committed to increasing the share of renewable energy to 15% by 2030 and plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Tokayev believes that this will contribute to energy security and create jobs.
Another area where Kazakhstan is leading is in the development of inter-university cooperation, opening inter-university branch campuses and joint colleges.
The goal is to make Kazakhstan a regional educational hub, with Tokayev comparing the region’s average age (28.7 years) to other regions such as North America (41.5), Europe (46.8) or China (48) as the most valuable resource for its young intellectual generation.
Tokayev concluded that a successful Central Asia is a successful Kazakhstan and that his country is “ready to further develop the integration process within the scope of readiness of its strategic partners and allies in the region.”
(Written by Xhoi Zajmi I, edited by Brian Maguire | Euractiv Promotional Lab ）
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