GELENDZHIK, May 18 /Dunyo IA/. The 6th Central Asian Conference of the International Discussion Club Valdai was held in the Russian city of Gelendzhik under the theme “Russia – Central Asia: Navigating the New World Order”, bringing together representatives of leading analytical and research centers from Central Asian countries, Russia, China, India, Mongolia, and other states, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The conference agenda focused on the development of cooperation between Russia and the Central Asian states amid the ongoing transformation of international relations, strengthening regional security, enhancing transport and logistics connectivity, and expanding engagement in the trade, economic, scientific, educational, and cultural spheres.

The Russian side was represented by officials and experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO RAS), the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Higher School of Economics (HSE University), MGIMO University, Kuban State University, Tomsk State University, as well as the administrations of Krasnodar Territory and the city of Gelendzhik.

A high-level delegation from Uzbekistan also took part in the forum, including leadership representatives and experts from the ISRS, CERR, ICAR, and IMRS.

Moderating the second session devoted to the priorities of cooperation between the Central Asian states and Russia, First Deputy Director of ISRS Akramjon Nematov emphasized that the development of a long-term cooperation agenda should be based on Central Asia’s qualitatively new role. According to him, thanks to a consistent policy of strengthening good-neighbourly relations and pragmatic cooperation, the region has become more resilient, strengthened its role as an independent actor, and is now emerging as one of the key centers of Eurasian economic and transport connectivity.

It was emphasized that Central Asia is gradually transforming from a peripheral transit zone into a major crossroads of the East–West and North–South corridors. The countries of the region seek not only to leverage their geographic location, but also to capitalize on it by developing industrial hubs, production chains, and high value-added logistics services along key transport arteries. In essence, the region is moving beyond a purely transit model toward a model of industrial and logistics integration, in which transport corridors serve as drivers of deep industrialization and integration into emerging value chains.

According to Akramjon Nematov, this new role of Central Asia should serve as the basis for building a constructive and mutually beneficial agenda for cooperation between Russia and the countries of the region. He particularly stressed that the Central Asian states pursue an open foreign policy and advocate constructive relations with all external partners. The region is not interested in geopolitical confrontation and views Eurasia as a space for broad, inclusive, and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The ISRS representative noted that the modern world is undergoing profound transformation marked by growing uncertainty and declining global stability. Under such conditions, the importance of shared regional responsibility for ensuring a stable and predictable environment for development is steadily increasing. For the Central Asian countries, Eurasia represents a natural space for cooperation shaped by deep-rooted economic, transport, and humanitarian ties.

According to Akramjon Nematov, Uzbekistan has consistently pursued a policy aimed at fostering an open and mutually beneficial space for cooperation across Eurasia. Within this strategy, through multilateral platforms such as the CIS, SCO, EAEU, CICA, ECO, and OTS, Uzbekistan advances a practical agenda focused on transport connectivity, industrial cooperation, energy partnership, and the development of resilient value chains. Since 2016, Uzbekistan has put forward dozens of initiatives aimed at deepening regional integration and expanding economic cooperation.

In furtherance of this policy, the country’s top political leadership has been consistently advancing a comprehensive regional agenda aimed at strengthening trust and institutionalizing cooperation in Central Asia. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has put forward a number of major initiatives focused on building a new framework for regional interaction, including the development of a Code of Good-Neighborliness, Trust and Cross-Border Partnership, as well as the Samarkand Solidarity Initiative for Common Security and Prosperity.

The expert stressed that the key objective is not isolation, but the formation of a region that is both internally resilient and open to external engagement. Thanks to this policy, Central Asia is becoming more stable, evolving into a dynamically growing market, and strengthening its role as a key logistics hub and center of industrial growth.

It was separately emphasized that Central Asia is increasingly emerging as a cohesive region with a growing international role. On the one hand, this enables the countries of the region to address internal challenges more effectively; on the other, it allows Central Asia to serve as an independent pillar of stability in Eurasia. In essence, the region is becoming one of the key pillars of the broader Eurasian architecture, and supporting this trend corresponds to the interests of all external partners.

Particular attention during the discussion was paid to the growing strategic importance of the “Central Asia–Russia” format. According to the ISRS representative, the expansion of industrial cooperation, joint infrastructure projects, energy collaboration, and humanitarian ties contributes to strengthening the resilience of the entire Eurasian space.

Summing up the discussion, Akramjon Nematov emphasized that Central Asia is moving beyond its former perception as a buffer zone and is increasingly asserting itself as an independent actor with its own agenda. Its strategic objective is to build open and mutually beneficial engagement with all external partners while taking greater responsibility for ensuring the region’s security, stability, and sustainable development.

“A strong, economically interconnected, and stable Central Asia corresponds to the strategic interests of all participants across Eurasia. Amid ongoing global transformation, it is regional formats of cooperation that provide the foundation for a new model of stability,” the ISRS representative stated, stressing that, by advancing an agenda of regional responsibility, Uzbekistan seeks to build a practical model of constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation in which partnership with Russia serves as one of the key pillars of the long-term development and resilience of the entire Eurasian space.