Meeting of Nordic and Central Asian Foreign Ministers at the OSCE Ministerial Council highlights regional cooperation opportunities

Meeting of Nordic and Central Asian Foreign Ministers at the OSCE Ministerial Council highlights regional cooperation opportunities

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen hosted an informal meeting with the Foreign Ministers of the Nordic and Central Asian countries on the sidelines of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council in Vienna on 4 December 2025. The meeting brought together ministers or their representatives from Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Held in a constructive and positive atmosphere, the discussions focused on two key themes of shared interest: regional cooperation and the situation in Afghanistan.

Participants exchanged views on the Nordic cooperation model and shared experiences from Central Asia's evolving regional collaboration.

"The meeting offered an excellent opportunity to learn from the experiences of Central Asian states as they deepen regional cooperation, and to reflect on our own Nordic model built over decades. I was also pleased to congratulate Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on their bilateral border agreement finalized in March this year, as well as on the subsequent trilateral Kyrgyz-Tajik-Uzbek border treaty and summit in Khujand. These achievements represent a significant step towards regional stability and partnership," says Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.

Regional cooperation in Central Asia has been a priority during Finland's OSCE Chairpersonship this year.

The topic was also addressed during Minister Valtonen's visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in June, and during visits by the Foreign Minister's Special Envoy, Terhi Hakala, to Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in September. During these travels, Special Envoy Hakala also visited the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe and the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, both of which play a key role in fostering regional cooperation.