TASHKENT, Uzbekistan

The fourteenth annual Meeting of Deputy Foreign Ministers of the Central Asian states, convened by the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), took place in Tashkent on 25-26 November. The meeting brought together the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Taking into consideration the importance of Afghanistan for regional security and development, Ms. Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Representative of Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was also invited. 

Prior to the meeting, senior-level officials from the Central Asian capitals met with H.E. Bakhtiyor Saidov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, who outlined foreign policy priorities of his country, stressing efforts to promote regional interaction as one of the most important tasks.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Asia and Head of UNRCCA, Mr. Kaha Imnadze, in his statement, noted that the countries of the region continue to strengthen their ties despite the complex global challenges. He reaffirmed UNRCCA's commitment to supporting the efforts of the Central Asian states in preventive diplomacy and regional cooperation.

The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on challenges in Central Asia and ways to address them. The Deputy Foreign Ministers from the five Central Asian states highlighted the possible cooperation in the fields of climate change and trans-boundary water management, preventing violent extremism and countering terrorism, as well as risks related to the situation in Afghanistan. Participants also explored ways on how the UN Regional Centre could further support preventive diplomacy efforts, including through the increased role of women and youth in decision making.   

During the event, UNRCCA also hosted the sixth regional dialogue between the high-level officials and young people of the Central Asian states. The UNRCCA Preventive Diplomacy Academy participants shared their vision on the cooperation among the Central Asian states, highlighting points that they consider to be priority among the young generation.

The next annual Deputy Foreign Ministers meeting is tentatively planned to take place in Kazakhstan at the end of 2024.