On November 14, the first meeting of Central Asian culture ministers was held in Tashkent. The session brought together the heads of culture ministries from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as well as the Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan as an honorary guest.
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva called the meeting an important milestone and emphasized the need to elevate cooperation among regional countries to a new level.
Minister Balayeva proposed to:
create a Central Asian Cultural Calendar to systematize the region’s key cultural events;
launch a Cultural Tour Platform that would provide annual touring programs, exhibitions, and an interregional film showcase with mandatory digitization of archival films.
A separate segment focused on scientific and historical exchange. Balayeva called for the establishment of an exchange of archival materials — scientific, documentary, and literary — noting that Kazakhstan is ready to share its collections.
She also proposed exploring the creation of a unified Central Asian digital platform — a creative industries marketplace for artisans, designers, jewelers, and other creative entrepreneurs.
Following the meeting, the parties signed a protocol outlining priority areas for further cooperation. They also agreed to consider forming a working group to develop a “Central Asian Cultural Brand.”