Tajik President Emomali Rahmon attended the Central Asia – Russia summit that took place in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on October 14. 

Media reports say that during the summit that was initiated by Moscow, the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Russia discussed prospects for further expansion of cooperation in the six-party format. 

Along with this, the leaders analyzed the implementation of earlier reached interstate agreements, identified priority vectors for further joint activities.

The parties reportedly noted the importance of efforts to preserve and strengthen in every possible way the centuries-old ties of friendship, good neighborliness and strategic partnership.

The summit adopted a joint statement, which envisages topical issues of regional cooperation in the Eurasian space.

The forum, in particular, outlines the main areas of cooperation between the six nations, including economy, security, food security, transportation, energy, ecology, and health.

“Based on the primary responsibility for ensuring our security, we will continue to encourage six-party cooperation and information exchange focused on countering terrorism and extremism, illegal migration, and illegal drug production and trafficking,” the joint statement says.

The statement also said that the countries “intend to expand the practice of settlements in national currencies, taking into account the interests of the parties.”

This was the first ever summit of Russia and the countries of the Central Asian region. The forum was held in the year of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and all five Central Asia’s nations.