Tokayev Proposes Central Asian Partnership on Artificial Intelligence
President Takes Part in the 8th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan. In his address, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev placed particular emphasis on the symbolic significance of today’s meeting, which is being held in the year marking the 35th anniversary of the Independence of the countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, according to the Akorda press service.
“Over these years, we have travelled a long, difficult and truly challenging, yet productive path that has encompassed an entire era. We have strengthened our sovereignty, shaped our own models of development and earned a respected place in the international community. Today, Central Asia and Azerbaijan are rightfully regarded as centers of growth and geopolitical interaction in Eurasia. Most importantly, thanks to the wisdom and unity of our brotherly peoples, we live in peace and harmony. Solidarity, mutual support and trust have become our common strategic pillar, enabling us to respond together to the challenges of our time. Amid growing geopolitical tensions, the transformation of the international relations architecture and deepening dividing lines, this trend is gaining particular relevance,” the Head of State said.
The President shared Kazakhstan’s vision on key issues of further regional cooperation with the participants of the Consultative Meeting.
“Thanks to our joint efforts, the trade and economic dimension of our cooperation is gaining new substance every year. The number of joint ventures is growing, business ties are strengthening, and major projects are being implemented in industry, mechanical engineering, energy, agriculture and other sectors. Trade barriers are being gradually removed, border crossing points are being opened, and road and rail connectivity is expanding. Yet, as we understand, the potential of our domestic market remains far from being fully realized. Last year, intraregional trade amounted to approximately 13 billion US dollars, accounting for around 8% of our countries’ total trade turnover. I therefore propose tasking the governments with developing and adopting a Joint Action Plan aimed at increasing this figure to at least 20 billion dollars, with a consistent increase in the share of mutual trade,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed.
The Head of State pointed to significant prospects for the development of trade and logistics complexes and industrial cooperation centers being established in the border areas of the countries of the region.
“In the near future, they could be interconnected to build regional value chains. We have all the necessary conditions to expand cooperation in investment, energy, industry and other strategic areas,” the President noted.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that Kazakhstan is consistently developing its transport infrastructure and creating new opportunities to strengthen regional connectivity.
“Construction of the Moiynty–Kyzylzhar and Darbaza–Maktaaral railway lines is nearing completion, while rail service along the Bakhty–Ayagoz route will open next year. This is a very important route, and indeed one of strategic significance. The large-scale Aral–Caspian Highway project has been launched, which will connect China with the Caspian Sea and further with European markets. I am confident that the large-scale modernization of Kazakhstan’s transport infrastructure will contribute to strengthening the transit potential of the entire region. Particular importance is attached to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. The dynamics of recent years clearly demonstrate the growing demand for what is often referred to as the Middle Corridor. For Kazakhstan, the North–South route in cooperation with Russia remains particularly relevant,” the Head of State said.
The President noted that, according to World Bank estimates, if all planned infrastructure projects are implemented, cargo flows through the Caspian Sea could quadruple by 2040.
“I believe we could discuss, at the expert level for the time being, the integration of the Middle Corridor with the TRIPP transport initiative. This would expand its existing potential and serve the long-term interests of all our countries,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized.
The Head of State identified water resources as another priority, noting that this issue represents one of the key challenges to stability in Central Asia.
“We face the task of developing new approaches to the management of transboundary water resources. They should be based on the principles of mutual respect, equality and consideration of the interests of all states in the region. The adoption of a Central Asian Framework Convention on Water Use could serve as a starting point for shaping a new regional architecture of cooperation. This draft document is already under consideration by all parties. The initiative to establish an International Water Organization under the auspices of the United Nations is also highly relevant. This proposal could be given an international, and in particular Central Asian, dimension. Joint efforts to promote it would constitute our common contribution to the development of a global system for water resource management,” the President noted.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also stressed the importance of cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence.
“Kazakhstan is consistently building a comprehensive artificial intelligence ecosystem. The Law on Artificial Intelligence has been adopted, the Digital Qazaqstan strategy is being implemented, supercomputer clusters have been launched, and the International Centre Alem.ai is operating. Given the exceptional importance of this issue, I propose considering the development of a Central Asian Partnership Program on Artificial Intelligence, enabling our research centers, universities and technology companies to exchange information and experience,” the Head of State said.
The President of Kazakhstan believes that the safe use of neural networks is a fundamental requirement. He noted that the risks associated with this issue are already the subject of serious international discussion.
“In my view, we should begin jointly developing approaches to ensure control over critical technologies. In this regard, Kazakhstan has proposed developing a Declaration on the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence by the States of Central Asia and Azerbaijan,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The Head of State noted that amid global turbulence, preserving peace and stability in the region remains the foremost priority.
“Terrorism, drug trafficking, arms and human trafficking, illegal migration, organized crime and fraud continue to pose serious security threats. The risk that digital technologies will fall into the hands of attackers, in particular terrorists and drug cartels, is particularly alarming. Clearly, our methods of countering these threats must keep pace with the times. Regular meetings of the Security Council Secretaries of the Central Asian states make a significant contribution to strengthening cooperation in this area. The third meeting was held on 23-24 April in Dushanbe. We highly value the Regional Security and Stability Concept and the Catalogue of Security Risks and Measures for Their Prevention adopted last year in Tashkent. It is important to ensure their consistent and comprehensive implementation,” the President stated.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev devoted particular attention to strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties. According to him, the countries of the region share a rich historical and cultural heritage.
“Over recent years, intercultural contacts have intensified significantly, with exhibitions, film festivals, forums and commemorative events being held on a regular basis. I believe this process should be given further impetus through youth exchanges, inter-university and scientific cooperation, and dialogue among creative communities. The establishment of a common information space is a natural continuation of our efforts to deepen these ties. As you know, Kazakhstan has put forward an initiative to establish a regional television channel based on Silk Way Kazakhstan TV channel,” the Head of State proposed.
The President considers the volunteer movement to be an important component of humanitarian rapprochement.
“Kazakhstan’s experience in implementing the nationwide Taza Qazaqstan project could be developed at the regional level, bringing young people together around common moral and civic values. I therefore propose holding a Youth Forum on Volunteering in 2027 under the motto “Central Asia – a Common Territory of Good Deeds”. Direct people-to-people contacts are also expanding through the growth of intraregional tourism, which is opening up new opportunities to discover the history and culture of our countries. We propose creating a common calendar of major cultural, scientific, sporting and tourism events in Central Asia and Azerbaijan. This would encourage mutual travel and attract foreign tourists through combined tours. All these measures are aimed at building a strong humanitarian platform for regional cooperation,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted.
In conclusion, the Head of State addressed the further improvement of the Consultative Meeting format.
“In my view, it is important to preserve this particular format of cooperation as a platform for direct dialogue among leaders, free from excessive formalization. At the same time, I believe that the effectiveness of our work should be measured not so much by the number of proposals and initiatives as by their practical value and tangible results. Since 2018, more than 200 initiatives have been put forward, yet only a small proportion of them have been implemented. As the saying goes, the facts speak for themselves. I believe it would be useful for the foreign ministries to conduct a review of regional initiatives and assess their relevance and prospects. This would help ensure the continued effective functioning of our format and the implementation of the agreements reached,” the President of Kazakhstan concluded.
The meeting was also addressed by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Following the 8th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, a Joint Statement was adopted.
