Parliamentary diplomacy becomes a catalyst for development of relations in Central Asia – Senate Speaker Ashimbayev
Chairman of the Senate of the Kazakh Parliament Maulen Ashimbayev raised the issue of cooperation of the Central Asian countries at the Astana Think Tank Forum, Kazinform News Agency reports.
“Supporting good-neighborly relations and international relations remains a key priority for the Central Asian states. It is important to promote the initiatives of the presidents of the region using the existing mechanisms of interaction. Parliamentary diplomacy is one of such mechanisms,” Maulen Ashimbayev said.
Last year, Kazakhstan initiated and hosted the First Inter-Parliamentary Forum of Central Asian countries in its sacred city of Turkistan.
Maulen Ashimbayev said the event became an important step towards strengthening the parliamentary ties in the region.
He noted that the Turkistan Declaration adopted at the Forum set the stage for broadening the cooperation between the parliaments.
“The second forum took place in September 2024 in Khiva during which the participants discussed the issues of economic security, transport interaction and development of growth points. This provides new opportunities for strengthening the interparliamentary relations and ensuring joint development. I am confident that the new forum will unlock new opportunities to boost our interparliamentary cooperation. So, deputies become a catalyst for the development of relations,” said Ashimbayev.
He also highlighted the role of cooperation between business and state.
“Kazakhstani companies actively operate in neighbor countries – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, and the number of such projects keeps growing. Cooperation in machine-building, food industry, logistics and agriculture is expanding. Joint projects and investments may increase in the nearest years,” he said.
The Senate Speaker also raised the problem of water shortage in the Central Asian region, saying that the rational use of transboundary rivers is gaining critical importance.
“Joint management of water resources is crucial for all Central Asian countries, with the consideration of agricultural sector’s development. Cooperation in water sector is an important issue for all Kazakhstanis,” he stressed.
