Naveed Ahmad Khan
Islamabad: Mr. Aibek Tilebaliev, Charge d’Affaires of the Kyrgyz Republic to Pakistan, briefed media on the outcomes of the informal Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, held on 31 July 2026 in the Cholpon-Ata tourist zone on the shores of Issyk-Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan.
Tilebaliev said the Consultative Meetings, which began in 2018 among Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, marked a historic transformation this year with Azerbaijan’s formal inclusion as a full participant. The summit, hosted by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, came amid what he described as unprecedented regional harmony, following Kyrgyzstan’s resolution of long-standing border disputes with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, cemented last year through the Khujand Declaration of Eternal Friendship.
He noted that the combined Central Asian region represents around 85 million people with a gross regional product exceeding $600 billion, serving as a geostrategic bridge between Europe and Asia and engaging major global partners through the “C5+1” dialogue platforms.
President Japarov thanked regional leaders for supporting Kyrgyzstan’s successful bid for a non-permanent UN Security Council seat for 2027-2028, specifically thanking Pakistan for its support during the election process. Tilebaliev outlined Kyrgyzstan’s Security Council priorities, including strengthening UN impartiality, improving peacebuilding operations, advancing disarmament efforts, championing least-developed and landlocked nations, and supporting Afghanistan’s stability and regional integration.
On regional connectivity, Japarov highlighted the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway and the Kambarata-1 Hydropower project. The railway, a 532-kilometre, $4.7 billion corridor running from Kashgar through Kyrgyzstan to Andijan, Uzbekistan, is over 17% complete, employing more than 10,000 workers, and is expected to cut China-Europe cargo transit times by 7-10 days. The Kambarata-1 project, with 1,860 MW generation capacity and an estimated cost of $6 billion, is being jointly developed with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan over a 6.5-year construction period.
Kyrgyzstan also proposed a unified tourist visa for Central Asian states. The summit concluded with the signing of the Cholpon-Ata Declaration, while President Japarov praised Turkmenistan’s chairmanship and confirmed readiness for the Eighth Consultative Meeting, scheduled for October 8, 2026, in Turkmenistan’s Avaza National Tourist Zone.
Running parallel to the summit, Uzbekistan’s President Mirziyoyev and Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev conducted state visits to Kyrgyzstan, resulting in Treaties on Allied Relations between Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan-Azerbaijan, elevating bilateral ties to the highest level of strategic cooperation. Azerbaijan signed 11 joint documents during the visit, while Uzbekistan signed 12. The two countries’ presidents also exchanged national honors with President Japarov.
Tilebaliev said the summit’s outcomes redefine the region’s strategic architecture through four key developments: formation of a new strategic bloc linking China to Europe via the Caspian Sea; integration of the CKU railway with the Middle Corridor and CPEC; a more integrated economic corridor with joint investment mechanisms; and a shift toward localized value-added industries rather than raw material exports.
He said Pakistan, located at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, stands to gain significant dividends from this trans-Caspian integration.
Sideline events during the summit period included the inauguration of the Baku Resort & Spa Hotel on Issyk-Kul Lake and the hosting of the F1H2O World Championship powerboat racing event, attended by multiple regional heads of state.
