On February 28, 2023, Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev participated in a regular ministerial meeting of the "Central Asia + USA" format with the participation of foreign ministers of the Central Asian countries and the United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Astana.

According to the agenda, the parties discussed matters of joint cooperation in the field of economic, energy, humanitarian and educational cooperation as well as cooperation in the areas of border security and terrorism.

Minister Zh. Kulubaev in his address noted that in the current turbulent international conditions the issues of food and energy security, macroeconomic stability and social stability require priority attention, consolidation of efforts and coordinated activities from the Central Asian region. In this regard, along with the intensification of cooperation in transport, energy and food industry, promising areas of interaction were also mentioned, including areas of creative industries, ecology and clean energy. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the colleagues to jointly start developing regional and national projects with an emphasis on the infrastructure and investment component.

On the subjects of minimizing the impact of sanctions and preventing the application of possible secondary sanctions, the parties noted the importance of continuing appropriate consultations and dialogue, taking into account the interests of the countries.

As part of the discussion on regional stability and security, border security and interaction in combating terrorism, Minister Zh. Kulubaev noted that the Kyrgyz Republic is making all possible efforts in this direction, citing as an example the resolution of issues of delimitation and demarcation of state borders exclusively through negotiations based on universally recognized norms and principles.

The Kyrgyz side emphasized that one of the main components of stability for the entire region is border security, combating terrorism, smuggling and trade facilitation. In this sense, interest was expressed in obtaining best practices and introducing advanced international technologies in combating the above-mentioned threats.

Regarding the situation in Afghanistan, Minister Zh. Kulubaev emphasized that Kyrgyzstan supports the efforts of the international community to support the Afghan people in preventing a humanitarian disaster, as well as in the long-term assistance in the reconstruction process and creation of a decent life for the Afghan people.

At the end of the meeting, the heads of foreign ministries of Central Asia and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to further cooperation within the C5+1 format.

For reference: The Central Asia + U.S. format is a multilateral mechanism for interaction between the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and the United States. It was established in 2015 to discuss regional issues in the areas of the economy, environment, security, and humanitarian and educational cooperation.