BAKU, August 2. /Dunyo IA/. Prominent Azerbaijani political scientist and analyst Ilgar Velizade commented for Dunyo Information Agency on the participation of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the first informal Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in Cholpon-Ata:

-  Participation of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in the informal consultative meeting of the leaders of Central Asian countries could become one of the key factors in its effectiveness. It was precisely on the initiative of the Uzbek Leader that this regional dialogue format was established, which in recent years has transformed into an effective platform for aligning the positions of Central Asian states. In many respects, its successful development has been made possible due to the consistent policy pursued by Tashkent.

At the previous consultative meeting, President of Uzbekistan proposed a series of initiatives aimed at deepening regional integration, including expanding trade and economic cooperation, developing transport and logistics corridors, strengthening industrial cooperation, joint management of water and energy resources, as well as intensifying cultural and humanitarian ties. A significant part of these proposals subsequently gained practical implementation, which reinforced Uzbekistan's authority as one of the primary drivers of regional cooperation.