Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
Dear colleagues,

First and foremost, I would like to greet all participants in this interregional event and express my sincere appreciation to the organizers for the invitation.

Undoubtedly, the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on Security is an extremely relevant and much-needed platform for addressing pressing issues of regional and global stability. This is my first time participating in this event, and I am following the discussions and presentations with great interest.

As a representative of the International Institute for Central Asia, I am pleased to note that in recent years, thanks to the new foreign policy of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the political will of our neighbors, the situation in Central Asia has undergone a profound transformation—from hostility to trust and the implementation of joint projects. The process of regionalization is gaining momentum.

At the same time, it is important to highlight that the countries of Central Asia are openly committed to cooperation with extra-regional states as well as international and regional organizations in pursuit of sustainable development for the region. This is evidenced by the establishment of more than 10 formats of “Central Asia plus” dialogues.

In this context, strengthening cooperation with Northeast Asia—an area home to powerful economies and shared strategic interests in peace and prosperity—has taken on particular importance.

Key roles are played by formats such as “CA + China,” “CA + Japan,” and “CA + Republic of Korea,” as well as by interregional cooperation within the SCO and the United Nations.

There are solid foundations for developing mutually beneficial cooperation. There are no political disagreements among our countries, and high-level dialogue is actively maintained, creating a favorable environment for building trust and effectively addressing shared challenges.

In this regard, Mongolia’s “Third Neighbor” policy opens up wide horizons for synergy—from energy and transit to education and digital technologies—providing a real basis for closer interregional cooperation.

Dear friends,

For Central Asia, cooperation with Northeast Asia is of strategic significance and opens up a broad spectrum of opportunities. This interaction is important in several key areas.

First, cooperation with Northeast Asia gives Central Asian countries access to one of the world’s largest consumer markets, with a population exceeding 1.6 billion and a combined GDP of $24 trillion. The sheer scale of this market creates unique opportunities to expand trade and establish new economic links. For Central Asia, this means not only increased exports but also deeper integration into global value chains. In 2024, trade turnover between Central Asia and Northeast Asian countries exceeded $100 billion.

As a result, significant foreign investment from Northeast Asian countries can be attracted, which will become a powerful driver for the development of new joint ventures and high-value-added industries. Annual investments from Northeast Asia into Central Asia consistently amount to $2.8–3.2 billion. Joint ventures built on advanced technologies and management practices from Northeast Asia can supply local markets with quality products and simultaneously become export hubs capable of competing globally.

This, in turn, will help diversify the region’s economy, reduce dependency on raw material exports, and stimulate the growth of new sectors in industry and services.

Second, cooperation with Northeast Asia promotes the development of high-tech industries in Central Asia by facilitating the transfer of advanced technologies and sharing expertise with leading companies from Japan, South Korea, and China. These countries, recognized global leaders in 5G, artificial intelligence, big data, and e-commerce, are increasingly engaging with Central Asian states, where demand for digital technology continues to grow.

This rise in digital capacity is reflected in tangible figures. By 2025, Uzbekistan will have 32.7 million internet users—89% of the population—with the online audience increasing by 626,000 in 2024 alone. Against this backdrop, e-government and digital public services are becoming central to the internal transformation of Central Asian countries.

Of particular importance is the international “Digital Silk Road” initiative, which currently supports 84 projects: 30 in Kazakhstan, 26 in Uzbekistan, and 10 each in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. This initiative opens new opportunities for integrating digital technologies and building a sustainable digital infrastructure, which greatly enhances the region’s competitiveness on the global stage.

As a result, the region is strengthening its production capacity, improving workforce skills, and laying the foundations for sustainable economic growth—helping to close the technological gap with world leaders.

Third, cooperation helps diversify transport and logistics routes for Central Asian countries, expanding transit opportunities and reducing dependence on traditional corridors.

Today, both regions face similar challenges—limited capacity in certain segments of transport infrastructure, dependence on a narrow set of external routes, and the need to adapt to new realities amid disruptions of established routes.

Under these circumstances, freight is increasingly being redirected to alternative routes. Delivery times to Europe have increased by 10–15 days (up to 35 days), and shipping costs have doubled. As a result, transport and logistics expenses now make up 20–50% of the cost of goods.

For Central Asian countries without direct access to open seas, this is especially acute. Even before the current situation, logistics accounted for up to 60% of the cost of imported goods in the region.

Therefore, the highest priority must be the creation of sustainable, efficient, and mutually beneficial transport and transit corridors between Central Asia and Northeast Asia. It is essential to ensure that the interests of all countries are taken into account and to promote key initiatives and major cross-border infrastructure projects—such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Uzbekistan–Kyrgyzstan–China railway, and the Trans-Caspian route—on a mutually beneficial basis.

Fourth, cooperation enhances energy security for both Central Asia and Northeast Asia, ensuring more stable and reliable energy supplies through joint development of advanced technologies and diversification of energy sources.

Central Asia has significant potential in both traditional and renewable energy, while Northeast Asia is one of the world’s largest consumers of energy resources (over 30% of global energy consumption) and a leader in technological solutions for their efficient use.

This forms a basis for complementary partnership: from stable energy supply and joint infrastructure projects to the introduction of cutting-edge technologies in energy efficiency and “green” energy.

Central Asia is already emerging as an exporter of green energy: Japanese companies such as Marubeni (with JICA support), Korea’s KEPCO and Samsung C&T, and China’s PowerChina and LONGi have all shown interest in building major solar and wind power plants in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, with several projects already completed.

A promising area for cooperation between Central Asia and Northeast Asia is the development of nuclear energy. Given the considerable experience and technological advances of Northeast Asia, joint projects and knowledge exchange could significantly accelerate nuclear power development in Central Asia.

According to the IAEA, of the 452 nuclear reactors currently operating worldwide, 140 (31%) are located in Northeast Asia.

Against this backdrop, establishing an Interregional Energy Dialogue is important for developing coordinated approaches to energy infrastructure, expanding mutual supplies and technology transfer, and enhancing cooperation on energy security.

Fifth, cooperation between Central and Northeast Asian countries boosts the effectiveness of responses to today’s major challenges, such as climate change, land degradation, water scarcity, and fluctuations in global markets—all of which require new approaches and technologies.

According to the World Bank, by 2050, Central Asia’s population may reach 90 million, while water shortages are expected to total 25–30%. Warming in the region will outpace global averages, worsening both ecological and economic risks.

Up to 50% of irrigated land in the region is affected by salinization due to inefficient drainage and excessive irrigation. In Uzbekistan, saline soils account for about 60% of irrigated land, reducing productivity by 30%. In Tajikistan, this figure is 40%; in Kazakhstan, 25%; in Kyrgyzstan, though less affected, about 10% of agricultural land is degraded.

In this context, close cooperation allows the countries to develop and implement innovative solutions for sustainable water management, land restoration, and adapting agriculture to climate change—contributing to food security and sustainable development.

Sixth, such cooperation gives access to modern educational and scientific resources, including student exchanges, joint research projects, and workforce training in areas critical for sustainable development.

There are currently active academic exchange programs between top universities in Central Asia—such as those in Tashkent and Astana—and universities in Northeast Asia, including Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, and Ulaanbaatar. With Northeast Asian support, specialized centers for IT, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence are being established.

Over 33,000 Central Asian citizens are studying in China, around 8,000 in South Korea, and 1,500–2,000 in Japan—numbers that continue to grow.

Seventh, cooperation promotes the development of tourism potential in Central Asia.

Northeast Asia, including China, Japan, and South Korea, is one of the world’s largest sources of tourists. Central Asian countries are simplifying visa regimes for citizens of Northeast Asian states to stimulate tourist flows and facilitate travel.

According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourist flows from China, Japan, and South Korea to Central Asia are steadily increasing. For example, over 655,000 Chinese tourists visited Kazakhstan in 2024 (up from 367,000 in 2023). Uzbekistan welcomed more than 8.2 million foreign tourists in 2024, a significant portion of whom were from Northeast Asia.

It is important to continue improving transport and tourism infrastructure, develop joint marketing initiatives and exchange programs, and intensify interregional cooperation to create favorable conditions and enhance the competitiveness of tourism destinations.

The list of promising areas of cooperation that I have outlined is by no means exhaustive. The main task, in my view, is to formulate these directions through the prism of concrete objectives that will serve the interests of both Central Asian and Northeast Asian states.

To sum up, I would like to emphasize that the successful development of cooperation between the countries of Central and Northeast Asia requires not only political will and economic resources, but also the active involvement of the expert community. It is through the joint efforts of experts that we can develop effective strategies, exchange best practices, and implement innovative solutions that will help overcome current challenges and ensure the long-term and sustainable development of interregional cooperation.