CADENABBIA (Italy), September 21. /Dunyo IA/.   A delegation of experts from Central Asian countries held a meeting with the Chairwoman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Meeting took place as part of the international expert conference “Central Asia Amid Global Shifts: National Strategies, Regional Security and Building New Cooperation”, held in Cadenabbia, Italy, from September 17^th to 19^th. It brought together representatives of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, including parliamentarians, foreign ministry officials, experts and members of the media.

Addressing the participants, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer emphasised Central Asia’s strategic importance and its considerable potential for further consolidation. “I am well aware of how important your region is, of its strategic significance and of how much stronger it can become”, she stressed.

According to the Foundation’s Chairwoman, Central Asia’s further consolidation is directly linked to the consistent expansion and deepening of cooperation among the countries of the region and the establishment of sustainable mechanisms for interaction. She noted that the Central Asian states were increasingly setting their own regional development priorities and establishing practical forms of cooperation that strengthen connectivity and mutual trust and promote the region’s steady development.

In this context, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer expressed the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s readiness to support the development of regional dialogue, including through similar political and expert meetings. “I would be very pleased if we, for our part, could also make a contribution to this process, including through today’s exchange of views. It is a great pleasure and a source of pride for me”, she said.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer drew particular attention to the symbolic significance of holding the meeting in Cadenabbia, a place inextricably linked with the name of Germany’s first Federal Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer.

She recalled that Konrad Adenauer spent a significant part of his summers there, although his stays in Cadenabbia were never ordinary holidays. While in Italy, he continued to conduct affairs of state, received numerous guests - including foreign visitors - on a daily basis and discussed matters of domestic and international policy.

During Konrad Adenauer’s stays there, Villa La Collina effectively served as a temporary Federal Chancellery. It hosted meetings with senior political and business figures, as well as discussions on major issues concerning Germany’s domestic and foreign policy. Today, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation continues to preserve Cadenabbia as a venue for international political and expert dialogue.

“I hope that this special atmosphere and the spirit of this place will inspire you and support you in your work”, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer noted.

For his part, Akramjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS), thanked Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer for participating in the meeting, supporting regional dialogue and providing an opportunity to hold such events at the Foundation’s venue.

He drew particular attention to the high-level and diverse composition of the participants, which included politicians, parliamentarians, foreign ministry officials and experts from Central Asian countries.

“This meeting has indeed brought together politicians, parliamentarians, foreign ministry officials, experts and public figures from across the region—people who are working to strengthen regional cooperation. Many of them have been engaged in this work for many years,” Akramjon Nematov noted.

According to Akramjon Nematov, opportunity to bring together representatives of different professional communities directly involved in advancing regional rapprochement and strengthening cooperation in Central Asia is of particular value. Akramjon Nematov also expressed appreciation to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for its long-standing support for this dialogue and for creating an environment conducive to an open exchange of views.

Meeting formed part of a broader dialogue on Central Asia’s place in the changing global order. Discussions focused on strengthening regional security and resilience, promoting good-neighbourly relations and mutual trust, expanding trade, economic, transport, water and energy connectivity and enhancing Central Asia’s agency as a region and its strategic autonomy.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has chaired the Konrad Adenauer Foundation since January 1^st, 2026. She was elected Chairwoman of the Foundation on December 19^th, 2025, succeeding former President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is one of Germany’s most prominent political figures of recent decades. She served as Minister-President of Saarland from 2011 to 2018, led the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) from December 2018 to January 2021, and served as Germany’s Federal Minister of Defence from 2019 to 2021. She has been a member of the CDU since 1981.