DUSHANBE, May 16, 2014, Asia-Plus /Avaz Yuldoshev/ -- Tajik delegation, led by Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Aslov, participated in the first Economic Forum and Arab Cooperation with Central Asia (CA) and Azerbaijan that took place in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on May 13.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan participated in the forum.

Meanwhile Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reports that participants in the Riyadh Declaration that was adopted by the forum stressed their intention to work on the development of economic relations and partnership between the two parties to contribute to the development and well-being and contribute to the establishment of peace and stability in their regions.

They reportedly underlined the depth of historical, religious and cultural relations between Arab countries and Central Asia’s nations and Azerbaijan.       

The participants also emphasized the prospects of economic cooperation and advantages enjoyed by the Arab countries and the Central Asian republics and Azerbaijan starting with their rich natural resources to the promising investment opportunities of food production, power generation and petrochemical, mining and tourism industries.

They also called for adopting the language of dialogue and openness to other and constructive engagement as away to achieve peace, security and stability in their regions and the world and called on their countries to strengthen diplomatic and political presence among them.

They also called for expanding bilateral cooperation in renewable energy, peaceful nuclear energy uses, trade, transportation, communications, environmental protection, sustainable development, agriculture, training, tourism, statistics, industry and scientific research, according to the Declaration.                 

According to information posted on the Council of Saudi Chambers’ website, a joint meeting for Arabian chambers of commerce with their counterparts from Azerbaijan and Central Asia’s nations took place in Riyadh on April 30.  The meeting reportedly came as part of the preparations for the economic forum for cooperation between Arab countries and Azerbaijan and Center Asia.  

It was reportedly recommended that an economic conference should be organized every two years as well as an annual meeting for secretary generals of chambers, in addition to forming a joint Arab-Central Asian-Azerbaijani business council to push economic cooperation between these countries even further.  The meeting also emphasized the importance of government funding, particularly to the industrial sector in Central Asia, and creating industrial cities to attract Arab investors into the region, especially seeing Saudi Arabia’s expertise in this regard.