The Turkish president notes that Ankara won't circumvent EU and US sanctions imposed on the Kremlin since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But he adds that third-country nationals subject to these sanctions may face certain difficulties in their relations with Turkey, citing EU sanctions against Uzbek philanthropist and businessman Alisher Usmanov and his family as the most important example.
For many residents of central Asian countries, Russia remains the only realistic option to earn a living abroad, given a lack of opportunities back home. A shared language, familiar bureaucracy and established migration networks made this a natural transition following the collapse of the Soviet Union. But is Russia still the safe haven for central Asian migrant workers it once was? Increasingly, the answer seems to be no.
The main goal of this dialogue is to create a permanent, functional platform within which the representatives of Central and South Asian countries can discuss a wide range of cooperation issues, from interconnectivity, trade and economic cooperation to humanitarian exchange.
