Tashkent ready for Central Asia summit

On November 15, Tashkent hosted the next meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Central Asian countries. For the first time in this format, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov participated.

Tomorrow, November 16, the 7th Consultative Meeting of Central Asian State Leaders will take place. Ahead of the summit, the foreign ministers coordinated the agenda.

The first summit in this format was held on March 15, 2018, in Astana, Kazakhstan. Subsequent meetings took place in Tashkent on November 29, 2019; in Turkmenistan’s Avaza National Tourist Zone on August 6, 2021; in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on July 21, 2022; in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on September 14, 2023; and in Astana, Kazakhstan, on August 9, 2024. The rotation now returns to Tashkent.

Over the past eight years, the combined GDP of Central Asian countries has nearly doubled to $520 billion, and foreign trade volume has more than doubled to $253 billion. Intra-regional trade has doubled to nearly $11 billion, and mutual investments have grown 5.6 times. Uzbekistan alone increased its trade turnover with regional countries from $2.4 billion in 2016 to $7.2 billion in 2024.

The population of Central Asia has surpassed 80 million and is projected to exceed 100 million by 2050, according to UN forecasts. Central Asia remains one of the world’s youngest regions, with an average age of just 29.

After agreeing on key agenda items, the ministers signed an important trilateral document. Recall that on March 31, 2025, in Khujand, Tajikistan, the Presidents of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan—Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Emomali Rahmon, and Sadyr Japarov—signed a historic agreement on the meeting points of state borders. The agreement has been recognized by international organizations and major powers. Seven months later, all three countries ratified the agreement.

On November 15, 2025, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev, and Tajikistan’s Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Mukhriddin signed a joint statement exchanging ratification instruments of the agreement on state border meeting points.

Thus, Tashkent is fully prepared for the summit. Participating heads of state have arrived, and for the occasion, certain streets will be temporarily closed to traffic. On November 16, from 10:00 to 15:00, traffic will be partially restricted along Islom Karimov–Botir Zokirov intersection to Islom Karimov Street, and from Islom Karimov–Furqat intersection to Islom Karimov–Furqat intersection. Additionally, from 9:00 to 15:00, the route from Islom Karimov–Furqat intersection along Furqat Street to Khadra Square will be closed, with drivers able to use Alisher Navoi and Islom Karimov streets as alternate routes.