Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State and Azerbaijan Held in Avaza
The eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan took place in the "Avaza" National Tourist Zone, chaired by Turkmenistan.
The meeting was attended by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Held during the year marking the 35th anniversary of the region's states' independence, the summit demonstrated the high demand for and viability of this political dialogue format, which was initiated by National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Over the years, these Consultative Meetings have evolved from a mere regional communication mechanism into a factor of global significance, fostering peace, stability, and trust across Eurasia. A major milestone in the institutional development of this format was Azerbaijan's official accession as a full member, a move proposed by the Turkmen side.
The heads of state focused on deepening partnerships in the political-diplomatic, trade-economic, transport-logistics, and cultural-humanitarian spheres. A number of strategic initiatives aimed at unlocking the region's vast potential were put forward during the proceedings.
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized Ashgabat’s commitment to further expanding multifaceted cooperation, strengthening good-neighborly ties, and implementing joint infrastructure projects that serve the interests of the sustainable development of the entire Central Asia and Caspian region.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the need to increase intra-regional trade volumes and develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. He also proposed developing a joint action plan to expand trade turnover and adopting a declaration on the responsible use of artificial intelligence by the region's states.
President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov emphasized the growth of mutual trade flows and investments, proposing the creation of a unified electronic trading platform and the development of tourism routes based on the "One Trip – Multiple Countries" concept. He also congratulated Azerbaijan on assuming the chairmanship of the Consultative Meeting for 2027.
President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon pointed to the need to strengthen industrial cooperation and make more effective use of the participating states' natural resource potential to establish joint production complexes.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev put forward the "Six Economies – One Product" concept, aimed at building robust regional production chains, and proposed holding a major "Central Asia – Azerbaijan" business forum in Khiva in 2027.
Following productive negotiations, the leaders signed a decision regarding the regulatory documents for the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and adopted a joint statement.
