Central Asian Security Chiefs Convene in Samarkand to Discuss Counterterrorism and Regional Stability

The second Meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the Central Asian States took place in Samarkand on April 18.

The participants discussed issues of ensuring regional security, countering terrorism, extremism, radicalization, and transnational organized crime, and cooperating to ensure environmental and transport security in Central Asia, The Caspian Post reports citing Uzbek media.

At the event, the ISRS Director Eldor Aripov presented to the meeting participants the project of the Concept of Regional Security and Stability in Central Asia, which was prepared as part of the implementation of the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, announced at the sixth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia on August 9, 2024 in Astana.

Speaking about the relevance of the development and adoption of the Concept, Eldor Aripov emphasized that against the backdrop of a rapidly changing geopolitical and geoeconomic situation in the world, the formation of a unified vision and approaches to issues of ensuring security, stability, and sustainable development in Central Asia is becoming in demand.

According to him, the region has entered a qualitatively new phase of its development. Thanks to common interest and joint efforts, a qualitatively new atmosphere has formed here, giving the processes of multilateral cooperation an irreversible and progressive character.

In this context, ensuring security and stability in the face of internal and external challenges and threats is the most important condition for maintaining the high dynamics of sustainable development of the Central Asian States.

As the ISRS Director noted, the features of the presented Concept are openness to cooperation and non-direction against the interests of third parties.

In addition, the project of the document emphasizes the thesis that regional security is multidimensional, requires a comprehensive approach and joint counteraction to modern challenges and threats, and is also considered inextricably linked with sustainable development.