Central Asian countries, US discuss fight against terrorism, food security

The Central Asian countries’ foreign ministers and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in in Astana to discuss cooperation in combating terrorism and maintaining food security.

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi made the relevant remarks at a joint news conference on February 28, TASS reports.

"The C5 + 1 group has established itself as an effective regional diplomatic platform for promoting economic cooperation, security and sustainable development in Central Asia. A wide range of issues was discussed, including cooperation in the field of food security, in combating terrorism, and in energy and environment matters," Tleuberdi said.

Kazakhstan, he stressed, appreciates the US commitment to strengthening cooperation with the Central Asian region.

"Our country continues its diversified and balanced foreign policy in accordance with its diplomatic priorities. Central Asia and the United States remain our major partners. This makes C5 + 1 a relevant mechanism for regional cooperation for us as the host country," Tleuberdi said.

Blinken is in Kazakhstan on his first official visit. He took part in a meeting with Central Asian foreign ministers (also known as the C5 + 1 diplomatic platform).

The C5+1 is a multilateral mechanism for interaction by the five countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) and the United States. It was created in 2015 to discuss regional issues in the economy, ecology and security.