Today, on July 19, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, speaking at the first Summit "Central Asia – Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf", proposed to actively promote interregional cooperation in various fields.

«Your Majesties,

Your Highnesses,

Your Excellencies,

Dear Heads of States,

Dear Secretary General,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

First of all, I express my sincere gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the King of Saudi Arabia, His Majesty Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Highness Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for the excellent organization of the event and warm hospitality on brotherly Saudi land.

Taking this opportunity, I cordially congratulate the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, His Excellency Mirziyoyev Shavkat Miromonovich, on his convincing victory in the presidential elections, held in the country, and wish success in this responsible state post, and peace and further prosperity to the fraternal people of Uzbekistan.

I am glad to take part in this historic summit of a new format, which is an important milestone on the joint path to strengthening ties and deepening cooperation between our fraternal regions.

It is symbolic that our first Summit takes place on the first day of the Hijrah.

The holding of this Summit clearly demonstrates the available great opportunities and our desire to strengthen political dialogue, expand economic, cultural and humanitarian interaction between our countries and regions, both in bilateral and multilateral formats.

In this regard, I consider it very important to continue the active exchange of high-level bilateral visits in order to expand cooperation between our countries.

Dear heads of delegations,

Despite the geographical distance, our regions are linked by common history, common religion, culture, values and invaluable bonds of friendship.

As you know, the Great Silk Road, which was an important link in world trade, passed through the countries of Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, since ancient times.

Numerous caravan routes served not only to move goods and luxury items, but also to transfer new knowledge, ideas and cultures that significantly influenced the history and development of civilizations of the peoples of the Eurasian continent.

Since independence, our countries have accumulated rich experience of cooperation, both on a bilateral basis and in a multilateral format, primarily within the framework of the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Today, Central Asia – is a dynamically developing region with diverse geography, sustainable economic growth and new development opportunities.

The region is rich in all kinds of minerals, water resources and various sources of energy, oil, gas and coal.

Regional and interregional integration is a key element of our common vision for the future.

Kyrgyzstan stands for the consistent and comprehensive strengthening of the integration of the countries of Central Asia.

In the field of security, we remain committed to the goals of joining efforts in the fight against terrorism, extremism and transnational organized crime.

By pooling our resources, we can strengthen our countermeasures and ensure the security and stability of our countries even more effectively.

The situation in Afghanistan is of particular concern to us. We believe that the international community should not leave Afghanistan and the long-suffering Afghan people isolated. It is necessary to continue providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and fully supporting projects that will contribute to the restoration of the Afghan economy.

We are also following with concern the developments in Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine and hope for a speedy resolution of the conflicts in these countries.

I would like to emphasize that the Kyrgyz Republic firmly proceeds from the fact that any conflict should be resolved exclusively by political and diplomatic means at the negotiating table on the basis of generally recognized principles and norms of international law.

Dear heads of delegations,

Economic and investment cooperation is at the heart of our agenda.

There are huge opportunities that can be used for the benefit of our countries and peoples.

Our regions have an invaluable wealth: highly educated and dynamic human capital.

Central Asia also has a powerful trade, transit, logistics and transport potential, being at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

In this regard, I propose to instruct our governments to actively promote interregional cooperation and exchange of experience in such vital sectors as energy, infrastructure, agriculture, transport, healthcare, tourism, digitalization and innovation.

I call on our partners from the Gulf countries to take part in the joint implementation of the mega-project for the construction of the “China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan” railway, which will strengthen our interregional trade and economic cooperation.

The expansion of transport and logistics links, including rail and air, will facilitate the movement of goods, capital and people between our regions.

This will not only stimulate trade, but also promote cultural exchange.

For this purpose, I would like to propose the following step-by-step actions:

- create a visa-free zone within our regions;

- encourage and support our airlines in opening and expanding regular flights between the capitals;

- develop joint tourist routes;

- to strengthen interbank cooperation;

- to develop trade and investment cooperation.

Speaking about "green" energy, I want to note that this sector is important for the entire economy of the country, and is the core of economic growth and sustainable development of Kyrgyzstan.

Our country has a significant potential for renewable energy sources.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan is actively working on the project of the construction of the hydroelectric power station “Kambar-Ata-1” with a project capacity of 1860 megawatts.

I invite our partners from the Gulf countries to consider the possibility of participating in the construction of this hydroelectric power station in Kyrgyzstan, which will make a significant contribution to strengthening regional water and energy security.

Taking this opportunity, I would also like to express my deep gratitude to our Arab partners for fruitful cooperation through the funds of the Arab Coordination Group, within the framework of which socially significant projects have already been implemented in Kyrgyzstan, including the construction and rehabilitation of roads, the construction of hospitals, schools, the modernization of irrigation systems.

Dear heads of delegations,

I consider it important to start a comprehensive and practical implementation of the agreements we have reached in the near future.

In this regard, the Kyrgyz Republic is ready to host ministerial meetings to discuss issues of economic development, trade, education and healthcare, as well as business forums, joint cultural and sports events.

I propose to hold the first Investment Forum in the format of "Central Asia-Gulf Cooperation Council" in the summer of 2024 on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan.

I hope for the support of this initiative.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to wish success to the United Arab Emirates in holding the next 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP-28) in December 2023 and to the State of Qatar in organizing the Asian Football Cup in early 2024.

Dear heads of delegations,

We are in favor of strengthening the close cultural and historical ties that bind our regions.

In this context, we welcome the launch of the project for the construction of the Cultural Center of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Kyrgyzstan.

I would like to note with satisfaction the construction project of the Islamic Academy, which is being completed these days, with the assistance of the United Arab Emirates.

I am convinced that these cultural and educational institutions, which are necessary and in demand in our time, will become centers for learning the Arabic language, spreading knowledge about the rich Arab culture, about Islam, which is very important in our age of a high level of xenophobia in a number of regions of the world.

In the field of education, I propose to our countries the creation of a network of interuniversity exchanges and an increase in the number of quota places in the leading educational institutions of the Gulf countries for students from Central Asia in engineering and technical specialties.

Dear heads of delegations,

In conclusion, I express confidence in the success of our Summit.

I would like to reaffirm our commitment to further strengthening cooperation and deepening our partnerships.

I am convinced that the Joint Action Plan between the countries of Central Asia and the GCC states for 2023-2027 and the Joint Statement following our summit reflect the desire of our regions for mutually beneficial cooperation and provide a comprehensive agenda for future effective cooperation and partnership in priority areas.

Let me once again express my gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the King of Saudi Arabia, His Majesty Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Highness Muhammad bin Salman Al Saud for the excellent organization of the Summit.

I wish the participants good health and all the best, and peace, well-being and further prosperity to our fraternal peoples of the countries of Central Asia and the Gulf.

Thank you for attention».