Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has proposed creating a unified electronic marketplace for Central Asia and Azerbaijan.

Japarov made the proposal at the 8th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in Avaza, Turkmenistan, according to Report.

He said the development of e-commerce is one of the fastest-growing areas of the global economy and noted that citizens across the region already use international online marketplaces to purchase goods from third countries.

“In this regard, we propose creating a unified electronic marketplace for Central Asia and Azerbaijan,” Japarov said.

The Kyrgyz president said that such a platform would give consumers and businesses broader access to products made across the region.

“Given the unique national products of each country, this platform could bring together a wide range of regional goods and create new opportunities to promote them,” he added.

Japarov gave the example of a resident of Astana or Tashkent being able to purchase Kyrgyz mountain honey online in just a few clicks and pay electronically.

He stressed that the development of e-commerce should be accompanied by appropriate logistics infrastructure, including delivery, warehousing, customs clearance and shipment-tracking systems.

Japarov also proposed developing joint tourism routes between Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan based on the principle of “one journey - several countries.”

He called for mechanisms to introduce a single tourist visa for the region and said a common tourism space could create significant opportunities to bring the peoples of the region closer together.

“Historic cities, mountain and Caspian routes, and rich cultural heritage make it possible to join forces in promoting Central Asia and Azerbaijan as an attractive travel destination,” Japarov said.

He expressed hope that the initiative for a single tourist visa would receive further support and proposed tasking the countries’ foreign ministries with developing concrete mechanisms for its implementation.