DUSHANBE (Realist English). Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the second Russia–Central Asia summit in the Tajik capital on Wednesday, where leaders discussed expanding cooperation in trade, energy, finance, and security amid rising instability in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Following the meeting, the participants — including the heads of state of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — adopted a joint communiqué and an action plan for 2025–2027, aimed at strengthening integration and regional stability.
Putin reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to “deepen strategic partnership and alliance” with Central Asian nations, noting that trade between Russia and the five countries exceeded $45 billion last year and continues to grow in 2025. He called for expanding settlements in national currencies, developing new logistics corridors, and boosting cooperation in industrial production and energy.
“Russia remains one of the leading investors in the economies of Central Asia, with total investments exceeding $20 billion,” Putin said. He also emphasized joint efforts in building transport links, hydropower modernization, and environmental recovery projects such as the restoration of the Aral Sea basin.
The Russian leader also addressed regional security, citing the persistent threat from terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan and the need for collective countermeasures. He welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiatives in the Middle East and reiterated Russia’s stance that “lasting stability can only be achieved through the creation of an independent Palestinian state.”
More than 212,000 students from Central Asia currently study in Russia, Putin said, while 25 Russian university branches operate across the region — a sign, he added, of growing humanitarian and educational cooperation.
Host president Emomali Rahmon hailed the summit as “a continuation of the close partnership among our countries,” expressing confidence that its outcomes “will strengthen solidarity and mutual benefit within the Russia–Central Asia framework.”
The summit concluded with a pledge to pursue “closer coordination” in economic development, regional connectivity, and collective security through 2027.
