The United States, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic reaffirmed their shared commitment to maintaining peace and sovereignty in Central Asia.
Leaders of all six nations held the inaugural C5+1 Presidential Summit Tuesday on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
During the meeting, the C5+1 members expanded their security cooperation to address regional security challenges.
In a joint statement, the six leaders acknowledged that Afghanistan is critical to stability in Central Asia. Part of the security cooperation agreement continues support for a self-reliant Afghanistan that is free of terrorism, upholds human rights, and is at peace with itself and its neighbors.
The Central Asian presidents also welcomed the United States’ promise to prioritize security assistance tools and other resources that would strengthen security partnerships across the nations.
“We further affirm our support for recognizing Central Asia as a zone of peace, trust and cooperation that promotes the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter,” reads a joint statement from C5+1 leaders.