The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, has proposed the creation of a single e-commerce platform for the countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan. The initiative was announced on 8 October at the eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in the ‘Awaza’ National Tourist Zone in Turkmenistan, reports Turkmenportal.

According to the Kyrgyz proposal, the platform would expand access for businesses and consumers to products from countries in the region and create additional opportunities for their promotion. The development of e-commerce must be accompanied by the creation of appropriate logistical infrastructure, including delivery, warehousing, customs clearance and the tracking of goods.

Kyrgyzstan is ready to involve specialists from the High-Tech Park in the implementation of the project. Furthermore, the President proposed identifying specific joint projects in the fields of agricultural processing, light industry, the production of building materials and logistics, specifying the participants, sources of funding and implementation timelines.

Particular attention was paid to the development of transport links. Among the priorities, Sadyr Japarov highlighted the reliability of routes, transport costs and the predictability of transit. In particular, the importance of constructing the ‘China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan’ railway line was noted for expanding the region’s countries’ participation in international transport and production networks.

Other areas mentioned included the conservation of glaciers and mountain ecosystems, as well as the development of a shared tourism area based on the principle of ‘one trip – several countries’. It was proposed to combine historical, mountain and Caspian routes within a single tourism destination.

The President of Kyrgyzstan stated the country’s readiness to continue working to strengthen good-neighbourly relations and mutually beneficial regional cooperation.