New Agreements Following the Visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan
The state visit of President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov to the Republic of Azerbaijan on June 22 marked a significant milestone in the recent history of bilateral relations, laying a solid international legal and economic foundation for a long-term partnership between Ashgabat and Baku. The official part of the visit at the Zagulba Palace demonstrated the trusting and fraternal nature of the dialogue between the two heads of state – Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Ilham Aliyev. The talks, held in narrow and expanded formats, confirmed that, amid the global transformation of Eurasia, close cooperation between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan is a key stabilizing factor for the entire macro-region.
The political and diplomatic track of the talks demonstrated complete mutual understanding between the parties in the international arena – within the UN, ECO, OIC, Organization of Turkic States, and the CIS. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude to Baku for its continued support of Turkmenistan's neutral course, and President Ilham Aliyev particularly thanked the Turkmen side for its active assistance in integrating Azerbaijan into the format of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia.
The Caspian Sea, which both countries view as a zone of peace, good-neighborliness, and strategic partnership, dominated the discussion. In this context, the head of Turkmenistan proposed holding a high-level meeting of the Caspian littoral states in the Avaza National Tourist Zone in October 2026 and called for the consolidation of efforts to advance the Caspian Environmental Initiative.
Moving on to the trade and economic bloc, the leaders noted the stable dynamics of trade turnover and outlined ways to diversify partnerships in the oil and gas, chemical, and textile industries. Particular attention was paid to the electric power sector. Ashgabat confirmed its readiness to export electricity to Azerbaijan, quickly expanding its generating capacity for this purpose, in particular through the new 1,574 MW power plant currently under construction on the Caspian coast.
The transport and transit sector was identified as a key driver of integration. With their unique geographic location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are natural architects of East-West corridors. The leaders agreed to intensify the work of the specialized Turkmen-Azerbaijani Commission on Transport, Transit, and Logistics to advance two strategic projects: the Lapis-Lazuli multimodal corridor (Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey) and the Caspian Sea-Black Sea transport corridor (Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania), which opens direct access to EU investment markets.
A striking and deeply symbolic moment of the visit was the ceremonial donation by Azerbaijan of the new oil tanker Dostluk (Friendship), built at the Baku Shipyard. The 7,875-ton deadweight vessel (length – 141 meters, width – 16.9 meters) was launched by the heads of state with the simultaneous pressing of a symbolic launch button. Serdar Berdimuhamedov described this step as a clear demonstration of the unbreakable ties and high level of strategic trust between our peoples.
The cultural and humanitarian dimension of the visit was marked by the continuation of large-scale spiritual projects. Ilham Aliyev expressed deep gratitude to National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty (People's Council) Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, for his decision to donate a cathedral mosque to the Azerbaijani city of Fuzuli, the foundation of which was laid last summer. Against the backdrop of the rapidly developing twinning of cities (Baku and Ashgabat, Arkadag and Fuzuli), this project, along with regular cross-cultural Days, provides a solid foundation for strengthening the historical roots, common language, and values of the two countries.
Following the talks, the Presidents of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan signed a Joint Statement, which outlined their shared positions on key issues. A substantial package of bilateral agreements, programs, and memoranda was also signed in the presence of the heads of state:
Cooperation Program between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries for 2026–2029;
Agreement between the Governments on the Main Directions for Developing and Deepening Economic Cooperation;
Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Finance of Turkmenistan and the Central Bank of Azerbaijan;
Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in the Energy Sector;
Intergovernmental Program for Cooperation in Industry for 2026–2028;
Agreement on Cooperation in Food Security;
Protocol on Cooperation in Customs Statistics of Mutual Trade;
Technical Conditions for the Exchange of Information on the Transportation of Goods.
Memoranda of Understanding in the Fields of Agriculture, Healthcare, Labor and Social Protection, and Physical Culture and Sports.
