Joint Statement of the Foreign Ministers' Meeting of China + Central Asian Five (Abstract)

Nur-Sultan, June 8 (Xinhua) -- On June 8, 2022, the third meeting of foreign ministers of the "China + Central Asian Five" was held in Nur-Sultan, with State Councilor and Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Treuberti, Kyrgyz Republic Foreign Minister Kurubayev, Minister of Transport of the Republic of Tajikistan Ibrahim, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Merlev, Acting Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Norov (hereinafter referred to as "the Parties"). ) to attend.

In an atmosphere of friendship, mutual respect and trust, constructiveness and mutual understanding, the parties conducted a comprehensive study on how to implement the initiatives put forward by the heads of state at the video summit on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries held on 25 January 2022, and stated the following:

1. Political and diplomatic cooperation

The parties pointed out that cooperation in the region is based on traditional good-neighborly and friendly relations and continues to show a positive momentum of development. The parties are willing to continue mutually beneficial cooperation and further expand relations in the fields of political dialogue, sustainable development, economy and trade, investment, finance, science and technology, transportation, hydropower, information technology, ecology and humanities, and green energy.

The parties recognize the importance of fully exploiting the potential of cooperation between China and Central Asian countries in order to build a secure, mutually beneficial, stable and inclusive partnership in the region.

All parties support the global development initiative and the global security initiative proposed by China and believe that they are of great significance to the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The parties support kazakhstan's initiative on the transition of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia towards international organizations.

All sides stressed that combating any form of terrorism, separatism and extremism, combating illegal trafficking in drugs, arms, ammunition and explosives, combating transnational organized crime, ensuring international information security, strengthening border security and jointly combating illegal immigration, trafficking in human beings, money laundering, economic crimes and corruption remain the priority tasks for maintaining security and stability in the region.

All parties expressed that they should be vigilant against external forces interfering in regional affairs and reaffirmed their determination to support the maintenance of national security and stability in China and Central Asia.

The parties pointed out that mediating the situation in Afghanistan as soon as possible is one of the key factors in maintaining and consolidating security and stability in the Central Asian region. The parties are ready to continue to work with the international community to support the efforts of all relevant countries and international organizations to maintain peace and stability in Afghanistan, overcome the humanitarian crisis, rebuild the socio-economic infrastructure and promote its integration into the world economic system in order to achieve peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

The parties reaffirmed non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and the principle of "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" and noted that mechanisms for the establishment of lasting peace and harmony should be developed by Afghans under Afghan leadership, stressing the need for coordinated positions on promoting the establishment of an inclusive Government with broad participation among all ethnic groups and political parties in Afghanistan.

All parties support the entry into force of the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia as soon as possible for all parties and give full play to its important role in guaranteeing regional and world security and consolidating the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The parties affirmed that they would firmly uphold the existing international drug control system based on the norms and principles of international law and the relevant United Nations conventions, and believed that measures should be taken to establish effective working mechanisms to jointly counter the drug threat, to jointly build a reliable barrier against the illicit cultivation, production, processing and trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, and to curb the spread of drug abuse.

2. Economic, trade and investment cooperation

All parties pointed out that it is of great importance to expand the scale of mutual trade, build a commodity circulation network, establish a border trade center, strengthen e-commerce cooperation, and ensure the smooth flow of the "China-Central Asia Transport Corridor".

The importance of a stable and reliable energy supply for trade, industrial development and investment was noted. In this context, all parties stressed the importance of the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline and welcomed the construction of the D line of the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline.

All parties spoke highly of the outcomes of the First China-Central Asia Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum (17 January 2022) and the Tashkent International Investment Forum (24-26 March 2022), and welcomed the initiative to hold the first China-Central Asia Countries Industrial and Investment Cooperation Forum.

All parties expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation in the fields of industry, food security, renewable energy, and digital economy to promote regional social and economic development.

All parties stressed the need to optimize the function of ports and expand the scale of trade between countries, and pointed out the importance of jointly participating in and actively promoting international and regional economic and trade logistics projects.

The parties noted that China and the five Central Asian countries have made fruitful efforts to overcome the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their economies.

China is willing to continue to support the economic and social development of regional countries and explore the implementation of joint projects.

All parties believe that it is of great importance for China to deepen cooperation with Central Asian countries within the framework of the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative and the development strategies of Central Asian countries.

Third, transportation and logistics cooperation

All parties believe that it is necessary to take measures according to the development of the epidemic situation, gradually resume the normalization of mutual visa issuance, and facilitate personnel exchanges; Gradually and orderly resume passenger flights, strengthen cargo transportation and tourist exchanges; Organize multimodal transport of goods to establish a "fast channel" for China and its Central Asian neighbors to travel freely and a "green channel" for the smooth flow of goods, so as to ensure the stable flow of people and goods.

The parties stressed the importance of strengthening connectivity and cooperation between China and Central Asian countries and adopted the Initiative on Deepening connectivity and cooperation between China and the Five Central Asian Countries.

The importance of developing systematic programmes to guarantee the free movement of goods and to develop cross-regional logistics networks was noted.

All parties believe that it is necessary to further develop and deepen transportation and logistics cooperation, and carry out mutually beneficial cooperation in cross-border transportation infrastructure construction and modernization. The parties noted the significance of the implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, including the feasibility study of the project.

All parties said that they will jointly maintain the Asia-Europe trade corridor, support the development of China-Central Asia and China-Europe express trains, tap the potential of infrastructure and transport organization guarantees, and work together to promote two-way logistics.

4. Cooperation in ecology, environmental protection, water resources and green development

The parties pointed out that it is of practical significance to strengthen cooperation in the fields of environmental protection, response to and adaptation to climate change, desertification control, land degradation, rational use of water resources, ecological environment and glacier protection, restoration of nuclear test land and uranium mines, as well as the implementation of resource conservation, green technology and renewable energy projects.

The parties stressed the importance of supporting international cooperation in the fields of glacier conservation, saving the Aral Sea and protecting biodiversity, and that cooperation should be carried out around scientific and technological transformation, financing and exchange of experience, taking into account the advantages of all parties.

All parties support the development of a "Green Silk Road" roadmap, the strengthening of investment and technical cooperation in the field of alternative energy and the training of professionals, and the implementation of regional plans and projects in the field of green technologies.

In order to achieve the regional sustainable development goals, all parties are willing to work together to improve long-term mutually beneficial cooperation mechanisms in relevant fields.

Fifth, high-tech cooperation

All parties stressed that the "Digital Silk Road" should be built on the basis of the "China + Five Central Asian Countries" IT Industrial Park, and cooperation in high-tech fields such as digital economy and trade, artificial intelligence, big data, e-government, and blockchain should be deepened.

All parties welcome the strengthening of exchanges and dialogues between experts and scholars in the field of high technology and the deepening of innovation cooperation.

All parties expressed concern about the adverse consequences of the Internet fragmentation. In view of this, the parties stressed that in order to meet the new international information security challenges, it is necessary to support cooperation on building a peaceful, open, secure, cooperative and orderly cyberspace, including within the framework of the "China + Five Central Asian Countries" Data Security Cooperation Initiative. All parties call on the international community to jointly establish an equal, multilateral, democratic and transparent global Internet governance system.

6. Cooperation in the field of tourism

Tourism is seen as a key link in promoting interregional cooperation for innovation and transformation, as a disseminator of economic development, friendship, mutual understanding, innovation and prosperity.

The parties reaffirmed the need to maintain close cooperation, strengthen tourism exchanges and create conditions for the safe and stable development of the tourism industry.

All parties support China in building a platform for publicizing tourism potential, listing all five Central Asian countries as destinations for Chinese citizens' outbound tourism, and welcoming Central Asian countries to build tourism routes for Chinese citizens.

7. Humanistic cooperation

The parties recognize the importance of cultural dialogue between China and Central Asian countries aimed at benefiting the people of China and Central Asia. Encourage cultural diversity, ethnic and religious inclusion, deepen cooperation in the fields of music, theatre, film, radio and television and libraries, and promote direct exchanges among people, especially among young people.

The parties stressed the need to implement joint projects in the fields of education, science, culture, sports, and the protection of memorial facilities to attract the broad participation of young people, including the China-Central Asia People-to-People Friendship Forum, the Youth Arts Festival, the Youth Volunteer Ambassador Program for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, and the "Bridge of the Future" Youth Leaders Training and Exchange Camp. Actively promote local cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries and promote exchanges between sister cities.

The Chinese side is willing to provide outstanding university students from Central Asian countries with government scholarships and quotas for professionals to study in China.

Cooperation in the field of health

In order to jointly eliminate the impact of COVID-19, all parties pointed out that there are broad prospects for cooperation in the fields of health, epidemic prevention and control, distance education and telemedicine, and are willing to expand the above cooperation.

In order to stabilize the anti-epidemic situation in the region and defeat the new crown epidemic, China and Kazakhstan are willing to provide vaccines to countries in need.

All parties are willing to carry out joint scientific research in medical supplies, pharmaceutical production and the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, improve the way of cooperation in fighting the epidemic, and create the necessary conditions for the exchange of experience in the development of traditional medicine.

The parties reiterated that the "China + Central Asian Five" meeting mechanism is conducive to the study and discussion of international hotspot issues and will further strengthen multilateral international cooperation.

All parties thanked Kazakhstan for hosting the third foreign ministers' meeting of "China + Central Asian Five" at a high level.