The 7th Consultative Summit of Central Asian Leaders opened Saturday in Tashkent, where heads of six regional countries gathered to assess the evolving situation in Afghanistan and to chart a coordinated path for deeper political, economic and security cooperation.

The two-day meeting comes at a time when Afghanistan’s stability — or lack thereof — continues to shape the wider region’s security landscape, trade connectivity and long-term development prospects.

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who initiated the idea of these high-level summits at the UN General Assembly in 2017, reiterated that Central Asia “cannot achieve lasting peace, stability or prosperity without a stable Afghanistan.” Tashkent has long positioned itself as a regional mediator on Afghan issues, hosting multiple rounds of diplomatic talks and pushing for expanded trade corridors that link Afghanistan to Central Asian markets.

Leaders at this year’s summit are expected to discuss a broad agenda: strengthening regional economic partnerships, accelerating joint infrastructure and transport projects, enhancing counter-terrorism and border security cooperation, and examining the impact of global geopolitical shifts on Central Asia. The discussions reflect growing concern that instability in Afghanistan — including economic pressures, migration flows and the presence of extremist groups — directly affects the region’s collective security.

Since Uzbekistan assumed the rotating chairmanship of the consultative process, more than 20 intergovernmental meetings have been held, underscoring a renewed commitment among Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to approach shared challenges with unified strategies. Analysts say the summit structure has become an increasingly important platform as Central Asian states seek to balance cooperation with major powers while safeguarding regional autonomy.

The Tashkent summit will continue through Sunday, with leaders expected to issue a joint statement outlining common priorities — many of which are likely to centre on ensuring that Afghanistan is integrated into regional economic plans rather than left isolated, a scenario observers warn would carry security risks for the entire region.