There is a genuine interest in Central Asian capitals in greater cooperation between the five countries. Such cooperation plays an important part in defending their independence from large and assertive neighbours such as China and Russia. It can help build on their shared history and cultural proximity to reduce the risk of conflict, not least over dwindling shared resources. The UK is well placed to support this ambition, due to its good standing in Central Asian capitals, highly experience...

There is a genuine interest in Central Asian capitals in greater cooperation between the five countries. Such cooperation plays an important part in defending their independence from large and assertive neighbours such as China and Russia. It can help build on their shared history and cultural proximity to reduce the risk of conflict, not least over dwindling shared resources. The UK is well placed to support this ambition, due to its good standing in Central Asian capitals, highly experienced diplomatic service and convening power at the UN. Consequently, we recommend that: a) a Central Asia 5+UK meeting is held in 2024, with the potential f Type: recommendation | Number: 1 | Paragraph: 17 | Response status: partially_accepted Government response: Agree. We agree with the Committee’s assessment of the importance of supporting cooperation among the five Central Asian republics (CA5). The CA5 themselves have made progress in recent years in intensifying their links in different sector