On December 1, 2017, within the framework of the "Heart of Asia" - the Istanbul Process, the VII Ministerial Conference on "Security and Economic Connectivity towards a Strengthened Heart of Asia Region" started in Baku. The delegation of Turkmenistan, led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, took part in the conference.
The conference was attended by the representatives of states and organizations that are members of the "Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process" - the President and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, special representatives of Russia and China on Afghanistan, the delegations of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as special representatives of the UN Secretary General on Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Representatives of the countries supporting the Istanbul process - Great Britain, USA, Japan, Spain, Norway, Denmark, France, Finland, Poland, Egypt, Sweden and other countries also attended the conference.
In his speech, the head of the delegation of Turkmenistan informed the participants about the state policy and foreign policy initiatives of Turkmenistan to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan, to unite efforts in combating drug trafficking, terrorism and extremism, to create the necessary conditions for the country's successful social and economic development.
Following the results of the conference, the Baku Declaration was adopted. The Declaration reaffirms the importance of intensifying the political dialogue and consultations between the countries participating in the "Heart of Asia" process to ensure stability, peace and prosperity of the region.
