Central Asia becoming global stakeholder – Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
«For decades, the Central Asian states had weak economic ties, which impeded their sustainable growth. Now, by sharing common interests and challenges, our region has entered a next stage of its development. In this respect, close and constructive political dialogue among all five regional countries will be instrumental for trade, economic, investment and people-to-people interaction. New opportunities have emerged for the region after the first informal consultations at the highest level held in our capital last year,» the Kazakh President said.
In his words, Central Asia is becoming a global stakeholder, since the countries are linked with a common historic and cultural heritage, as well as, by a common future. The President emphasized that Kazakhstan, as the largest economy of Central Asia, had a vital interest in further strengthening a mutually beneficial cooperation among all states.
The Kazakh Leader also touched upon the situation in Afghanistan. «The situation in Afghanistan has a direct impact on our region. We hope that the Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process, assisted by all key stakeholders, will produce a lasting peace and prosperity for this country. Kazakhstan will continue to support the Afghan people to rebuild their nation. Enduring global and regional partnerships, long term investments and regional connectivity are vital to secure the peaceful future of this nation,» he noted.