ISLAMABAD : Monitoring Desk – The beautiful capital city of the Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe was the center of the Central Asia + Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States Summits on 09-10 Oct. The leaders from across the region discussed security, economic ties, transport infrastructure, energy cooperation, and new models of regional integration.
On 9 October 2025, the Central Asia–Russia Summit was held in Dushanbe under the chairmanship of President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.
The summit was attended by the heads of state of Central Asia and Russia: President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The summit resulted in the adoption of two key documents:
– The Final Communiqué of the Summit
– The Joint Action Plan for 2025–2027
The Communiqué of the Central Asia–Russia Summit reaffirms the countries’ commitment to fostering a multipolar world order, the indivisibility of security, and adherence to international law.
On 10 Oct 2025, CIS leaders signed a document on creating an expanded format of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) during their summit in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. The meeting review security and military cooperation, said the press service of the CIS Executive Committee.
The CIS Plus format will serve as a platform for cooperation between CIS countries and other states, associations, and international organizations interested in engaging with the CIS. Other documents on cooperation in various fields were also adopted.
Among the key priorities discussed are the development of North-South and East-West transport corridors, Russian gas transit through Kazakhstan, and the construction of new energy facilities. In 2024, trade turnover between Central Asian countries and Russia totaled $44.7 billion, an increase of 11.3% from the previous year.
According to the CIS Executive Committee, the combined GDP of member states is growing at an average annual rate of 4.5%, while internal trade has risen by 40% over the past five years. Kazakhstan remains a key player, with trade turnover with CIS countries reaching $37.3 billion in 2024, including $4.3 billion in services.
(Central Asia and Russian Federation Summit)
At CIS Summit, a total of 19 documents were signed following a meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council in Dushanbe, including decisions on establishing a “CIS Plus” format, and giving the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) observer status within the organization.
The Russia-led CIS is a regional organization formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 by its former members to promote cooperation in economic, political, and security affairs.
It includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan as full members, while Turkmenistan is the organization’s sole associate member. However, Moldova suspended its participation in CIS meetings in 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the leaders who attended the restricted-format meeting in Dushanbe, where he expressed Moscow’s support for the decision to establish the “CIS Plus” format.
“This will allow us to more actively engage other states and international organizations in the Commonwealth with our organization,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript, noting Russia’s support for deepening contacts between the CIS and the SCO.
He also said that he exchanged information with some of his counterparts with regard to his summit in Alaska with US President Donald Trump in August, calling the results of the summit “positive.”
“We will certainly base our subsequent work on resolving the conflict in Ukraine on the fundamental principles we discussed in Alaska,” he added.
Putin arrived in Dushanbe on a three-day state visit late Wednesday, where he held talks with counterparts and attended the second Russia-Central Asia summit on Thursday.
The meeting, chaired by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, was attended by the heads of state of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as CIS Secretary-General Sergey Lebedev.
During the meeting, President Emomali Rahmon was awarded the “For Merits in the Development of Humanitarian Cooperation” medal.
A declaration on cooperation in ensuring regional energy security was also adopted which provides a strategic foundation for developing relations among CIS member states in the aspect, said the service.
The summit also adopted the concept of military cooperation for CIS member states until 2030, a cooperation program to strengthen border security along the CIS external frontiers for 2026-2030, a cooperation program to counter terrorism and extremism, and a number of other documents.
It also decided that Turkmenistan will assume the CIS chairmanship in 2026 and Sergey Lebedev will continue to serve as CIS secretary-general for the next three years.
Putin wished Turkmenistan success in its upcoming chairmanship in the CIS in 2026, and invited leaders at the Dushanbe summit to a traditional informal meeting of the organization in St. Petersburg at the end of the year.
Speeches were delivered by President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, CIS Secretary-General Sergey Lebedev, and Tatyana Moskalkova, Chairwoman of the CIS Human Rights Commission and Russian Human Rights Commissioner.
The leaders held closed‑door talks lasting about an hour following the meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council.
Experts note that the CIS Council is maintaining a balance between pragmatism and collaboration. New mechanisms, from a free trade agreement on services to the digitalization of multimodal transport, are contributing to what some are calling a “second wind” for the organization. In this context, Central Asia is emerging not only as a bridge between Europe and Asia but also as a new center of gravity in an increasingly multipolar world.
Alibek Tazhibaev, Director of the Center for Eurasian Monitoring said, “The Central Asia-Russia format has the potential to become not just a venue for political signaling, but an instrument for the rapid implementation of infrastructure and regulatory solutions.”
He noted that the region has become a natural zone of industrial cooperation and logistics for Russia, with mutual economic interdependence deepening under the pressure of sanctions.
Tazhibaev also argued that Central Asia could emerge as an independent “Eurasian hub” if it transitions from a simple transport corridor to a region that integrates added value.
“Central Asia can offer a ‘door-to-door’ logistics service if it builds digital gateways, assembly warehouses, and unified logistics standards. This would help retain profit margins and manage standards within the region,” Tazhibaev said.
Taisiya Marmontova, Associate Professor at Astana International University and Director of the Institute for Regional Integration Studies, noted that the CIS has “preserved a space for dialogue and joint projects after the collapse of the USSR.”
“Integration and communication are the path to navigating the geopolitical storm we are witnessing today,” Marmontova emphasized.
