Central Asian and Russian Foreign Ministers Align Positions on Trade, Security, and Cooperation

Moscow, April 17, 2026 – The foreign ministers of Central Asian nations and Russia held a regular consultative meeting to review the progress of their strategic partnership.

The discussions focused on implementing the agreements reached during the second "Central Asia - Russia" summit in Dushanbe in October 2025. Key areas of cooperation, including trade, energy, transport, and logistics, were on the agenda. The ministers also exchanged views on pressing international issues and ensuring regional security.

In his address, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev highlighted the long-term potential of combining Central Asia's economic capabilities with Russia's resources. "This synergy creates a solid foundation for comprehensive partnership and opens new horizons for future achievements," he stated.

The meeting reviewed significant economic results. Last year, the total trade turnover between the region and Russia grew by 6.5 percent, reaching approximately $50 billion. More than half of this volume is accounted for by Kazakhstan. Alongside trade growth, investment cooperation and industrial collaboration are steadily expanding.

Kazakhstan alone has established a portfolio of 177 joint projects with Russia, with a total investment value exceeding $55 billion; 122 of these projects have already been implemented. These figures underscore the substantive scale of economic interaction within the "Central Asia – Russia" format.

Minister Kosherbayev emphasized the critical importance of regional security coordination. He noted that modern challenges and threats are becoming increasingly complex and require concerted responses.

"In these conditions, coordinating efforts to counter terrorism, extremism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, illicit arms trade, and illegal migration is of particular importance," Kosherbayev said.

The humanitarian dimension was also given special attention. Cooperation in education, culture, and people-to-people ties was recognized as one of the strong pillars supporting interaction between Central Asia and Russia.

Following the meeting, all parties reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening multifaceted cooperation within this format. They acknowledged its key role in ensuring sustainable regional development and expressed readiness for consistent implementation of all agreements reached.