Stiprais: Azerbaijan has become integral part of regional dialogue

Azerbaijan has become an integral part of the regional dialogue and coordination among the countries of Central Asia, EU Special Representative for Central Asia Eduards Stiprais said at a panel discussion at the XIII Global Baku Forum, Report informs.

According to him, in recent years there has been a noticeable strengthening of regional cooperation in Central Asia:

"If just a few years ago the countries of the region had virtually no interaction with each other, today, thanks to reforms and policy changes, an active dialogue and partnership is developing between them," he said.

As Stiprais noted, this process extends beyond Central Asia.

"Azerbaijan is also actively involved in this process, becoming an important participant in discussions on the coordination of regional initiatives. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev joined the consultative meeting of Central Asian leaders, which became an important step in expanding cooperation between the two regions," he said.

According to Stiprais, Azerbaijan's participation in this format creates the basis for closer coordination not only at the political level, but also at the level of practical interaction and implementation of joint projects.