By Alperen Aktas
ISTANBUL (AA) - The second Central Asia–Russia summit began Thursday in Tajikistan's capital of Dushanbe, bringing together the leaders of Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to discuss trade, energy, logistics and other key sectors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Wednesday for a state visit that includes the summit, as well as a Council of Heads of State meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on Friday.
Putin held talks before the summit with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, after which the two sides signed several agreements, including on labor migration.
The Russian leader also met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, their first in-person talks since the December 2024 Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, and apologized for the tragedy, expressing condolences to the victims’ families.
Putin said the crash occurred after Russian air defenses intercepted Ukrainian drones near the area, with debris from nearby explosions striking the plane. He said Russia would compensate the families and carry out a legal investigation.
The CIS, formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, includes several former Soviet republics aiming to promote economic, political and security cooperation.
The first Central Asia-Russia summit was held in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana on Oct. 14, 2022, alongside the CIS heads of state summit chaired by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.