On October 8, the 8th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Central Asia was held in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the event.

Speech by President Ilham Aliyev

- Esteemed Serdar Gurbangulyevich,

Distinguished heads of state,

Dear friends,

First of all, I express my gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan for the invitation and traditional hospitality.

I am glad to be back in brotherly Turkmenistan, in beautiful Awaza.

In November last year, Azerbaijan became a full-fledged participant in the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia. Once again, I express my gratitude to all my esteemed colleagues for their unanimous support for this historic decision. In this regard, I would like to particularly acknowledge the role of Turkmenistan and, personally, that of the esteemed Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov. It was here in Awaza, in August last year, that he put forward the initiative for Azerbaijan’s full participation in this format.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have been developing dynamically in recent years. Since last year, five high-level visits have taken place. This attests to the intensity of our political dialogue and our shared commitment to further strengthening bilateral ties.

I would particularly like to highlight the construction of a mosque in the city of Fuzuli, undertaken at the initiative of the esteemed Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov. Last year, we jointly attended the foundation-laying ceremony. This gift from brotherly Turkmenistan to our country is yet another testament to the friendship and spiritual affinity between our peoples.

The brotherly support extended to us in the reconstruction of Azerbaijan’s liberated territories holds special significance for us. In Fuzuli, Uzbekistan has built a school named after Mirzo Ulugbek, while Kazakhstan has built the Kurmangazy Children’s Creativity Center. In Aghdam, Kyrgyzstan has built a school named after Manas. We highly appreciate this assistance.

Azerbaijan's cooperation with the countries of Central Asia has expanded significantly in recent years. Political ties are at a high level, and high-level visits have become a regular feature of our relations. Trade and economic cooperation continue to strengthen, mutual investments are increasing, and joint projects are being implemented. Last year, Azerbaijan's trade with Central Asian countries increased by more than 50 percent. Today, over 400 companies with capital from Central Asian countries are actively operating in our country.

In recent years, Azerbaijan has established joint investment funds with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Each of these funds has capital amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. I believe their potential should be harnessed more actively, primarily to implement joint projects, establish new manufacturing facilities, and expand industrial cooperation. We must not limit ourselves to increasing mutual trade; we must also invest together, produce together, and enter foreign markets together.

Transport is one of the key areas of our cooperation. The Caspian Sea plays an increasingly important role in ensuring transport connectivity between our countries. Transport infrastructure on both shores of the Caspian Sea is crucial to connecting Central Asia with Azerbaijan and, beyond Azerbaijan, with international markets. In recent years, we have consistently expanded our transport capacity. We have made substantial investments in transport infrastructure, developing seaports, airports, railways, and highways. Today, we are witnessing a significant increase in cargo transit volumes across the Caspian Sea. Our shared objective is to make these routes more efficient and competitive.

At the same time, the Digital Silk Way project is being implemented, and work is underway to lay fiber-optic cables across the seabed of the Caspian Sea. The Middle Corridor is gaining ever greater importance. Last year, the volume of transit cargo transported along this route increased by more than 10 percent, followed by a further increase of almost 20 percent in the first eight months of this year.

The energy sector holds a special place in our cooperation. Azerbaijan plays an important role in transporting energy resources from Central Asia to international markets. Oil from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan is transported through our territory, and the volume of these shipments continues to grow. Our cooperation in renewable energy is steadily expanding. We are working together with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to establish a green energy corridor.

Dear colleagues,

The geopolitical significance of our cooperation format extends beyond joint projects in the energy and transport sectors. Peace, security, and political and economic stability in our countries underpin all our achievements and provide a solid foundation for the continued successful development of the Central Asian states and Azerbaijan, as well as for the further strengthening of our cooperation.

Thank you for your attention.