Pakistan, Turkiye, Iran leaders visit Central Asia in diplomatic push

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) shakes hands with the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (L) during the 16th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on November 09, 2023 [Mustafa Kamacı – Anadolu Agency]

Leaders of Russia, Turkiye, Iran, and Pakistan are all making stops in Central Asia as global powers seek to expand their influence in the traditionally Russia-dominated region, Al Jazeera reports.

According to the report, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, touched down in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, on Thursday morning for talks with his counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The trip comes just a week after French President, Emmanuel Macron, also paid a visit there, hoping to “accelerate” economic cooperation.

Meanwhile, Turkiye’s leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi and Pakistani Prime Minister, Anwaar Ul Haq Kakar, are visiting Uzbekistan on Thursday for a regional economic summit.

The flurry of engagement shows how the former Soviet countries are opening up to new partnerships, as Russia’s grip on the region wanes.

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