Central Asia a ‘Crossroads’, Uniquely Positioned to Build Bridges in Divided World, Secretary-General Tells Region’s Heads of State at Meeting

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the Fifth Consultative Meeting of Heads of State of Central Asia, in Dushanbe today:

Excellencies, I send my warmest greetings to this Meeting of Heads of State of Central Asia.  Your region is a crossroads.  In a divided world, you are uniquely positioned to build bridges of mutual understanding and contribute to addressing humanity’s challenges — from peace and security to the climate crisis and sustainable development.

This meeting, and the growing platforms of cooperation in Central Asia, highlight your strong commitment to dialogue and regional partnership.  Cooperation between neighbours is essential to effective climate action, countering transnational threats, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and building inclusive economies and societies.

I welcome your support for our efforts towards a more networked and inclusive multilateralism and look forward to your contributions to our upcoming discussions on reinventing global governance to respond and deliver for all people everywhere.  The United Nations, through our Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy and our UN country teams, is your steadfast partner in efforts for a more peaceful and prosperous future for Central Asia and the world.

I wish you a successful summit.  Thank you.