Farkhod Karimov: Central Asia is becoming a key participant in international cooperation

The visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Uzbekistan and a meeting of foreign ministers in the C5+1 format in Samarkand are being recognised as one of the key events in regional diplomacy.

Political scientist and professor Farkhod Karimov, interviewed by UzA, said Central Asia is becoming an active and independent centre of global processes rather than a peripheral region. He noted that the C5+1 mechanism, launched in Samarkand in 2015, has become an important platform for multilateral cooperation, with priorities including counterterrorism, transboundary threats and economic and technological ties.

On Afghanistan, Karimov said the regional goal is to integrate the country into regional economic processes, citing the Termez – Mazar-i-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar railway and the CASA-1000 energy project. Karimov also listed regional priorities including the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor, the Aral Sea disaster and transboundary water use.