Washington, DC - The foreign ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Secretary of State of the United States of America issue this Joint Declaration of Partnership and Cooperation. This meeting follows a ministerial level meeting of the six countries on September 26, 2015, in New York. The six countries are committed to deepening cooperation, including through regular meetings in the “C5+1” format.

Respecting mutually their sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, the foreign ministers declare their commitment to:

Improve mutually beneficial cooperation in regional trade, transport and communication, energy linkages, and transit opportunities, including upgrading existing facilities and promoting common rules and regulations to realize fully the region’s great economic potential;

Enhance a favorable business climate in the region to attract foreign direct investment and facilitate local entrepreneurship and broaden and strengthen business and investment contacts among the Central Asian countries and the United States;

Address environmental sustainability challenges, including through a new agreement in Paris that would contribute to the establishment of a climate regime that applies to all countries;

Join efforts in addressing climate change by promoting clean energy and green technology in the region;

Enhance cooperation to prevent and counter transboundary threats and challenges such as terrorism, trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, illicit drugs, and human beings;

Support Afghanistan and its development as an independent, peaceful, thriving state, recognizing that the situation in Afghanistan remains an important factor in security and stability for the entire region;

Contribute to global and regional nonproliferation efforts, including by respecting the provisions of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone in Central Asia and pursuing entry into force of the Treaty’s Protocol;

Develop closer cooperation in the humanitarian sphere and more extensive people-to-people ties, and encourage wider educational, cultural, and business exchanges;

Protect human rights, develop democratic institutions and practices, and strengthen civil society through respect for recognized norms and principles of international law, including the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration on Principles of International Law, and the Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe; and

Thank the Republic of Uzbekistan for hosting this first joint meeting in Central Asia of the foreign ministers of the six countries.