Statement by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov at the Eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan

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Distinguished Heads of State!
Distinguished Members of Delegations!

Allow me to extend a warm welcome to Turkmenistan to the distinguished Presidents of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

I congratulate everyone on the opening of the Eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and wish our Summit every success.

I express my heartfelt appreciation to the President of Uzbekistan, His Excellency Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev, for his hospitality, warm welcome and effective chairmanship of the Seventh Consultative Meeting, held in Tashkent last year.

Today, we are meeting officially in a six-party format for the first time. I would like to extend a special welcome to the President of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev, and congratulate him on this landmark event. In our view, Azerbaijan’s accession is a significant and natural outcome of our States’ many years of rapprochement, their recognition of the importance of strengthening the bonds of fraternity, good-neighbourliness and cooperation, and our peoples’ desire to move forward together, hand in hand, along the path of development and progress.

Distinguished Heads of State!

At this meeting, we will discuss a wide range of issues. The situation in the world and in our region is changing rapidly, and new circumstances are emerging. I believe this requires our closest attention and sober, objective assessments in order to develop sound and farsighted decisions.

I am convinced that today we can set ourselves truly ambitious strategic goals. Our countries’ dynamic economic growth, diversification and rising standards of quality and technology enable us to substantially expand business partnerships in our common interests and on mutually beneficial terms.

The role of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in regional and global affairs as major logistics and energy hubs for development is steadily increasing, opening up promising prospects for cooperation with partners in Asia and Europe.

Strengthening our shared spiritual, cultural and value-based affinities and developing the humanitarian dimension have, of course, always been and remain among our priorities.

Today, we will discuss all these important themes and areas and present assessments and proposals aimed at the constructive development and prosperity of our countries and peoples.

Distinguished Heads of State!
Distinguished Members of Delegations!

Turkmenistan regards this meeting as an important new stage in strengthening relations among our States. We therefore believe that we should focus on the following priority tasks:

First, building the potential of our six-party partnership and preserving and strengthening the spirit of solidarity, unity and mutual support among our countries and peoples.

Second, ensuring lasting peace, security and predictability in our regions and neighbouring areas, and creating conditions for effective political and diplomatic dialogue with partners on pressing international issues.

Third, giving fresh momentum to trade, economic and investment cooperation and joining efforts to make Central Asia and Azerbaijan key and indispensable participants in the continent’s East-West and North-South transport, logistics, energy and industrial corridors.

Fourth, creating conditions for accelerated technological development and the introduction of artificial intelligence, with a view to achieving a globally competitive position in these areas.

Fifth, promoting broad humanitarian, cultural and educational cooperation within our grouping and expanding such ties with other States as one of the most important factors in dialogue among civilizations and mutual understanding among peoples.

I believe that the nature of relations among our six States and the level of mutual trust, openness and understanding among our leaders are now so strong that we are capable of accomplishing all the tasks outlined.

An important factor here is, of course, the development of coordinated approaches to international security. Turkmenistan’s goals and objectives focus on achieving lasting peace, establishing civilized dialogue, overcoming crises through negotiations and restoring trust. I believe these principles are shared and understood by all participants in this format, providing a sound basis for more active joint action in international forums.

I would particularly like to draw your attention to developing approaches to the future of the United Nations and to the role of international law. As you know, at the previous session of the General Assembly, Turkmenistan put forward an initiative to proclaim 2028 the Year of International Law. We are convinced that the legal foundations of international relations must remain inviolable. We would be grateful for your support for Turkmenistan’s efforts to implement this initiative.

Our countries’ diplomatic potential has increased, and the range of our partners has objectively expanded. We must make use of this. In this connection, I believe it would be logical to propose establishing regular six-party consultations among foreign ministries within the framework of the Consultative Meetings.

Distinguished Participants!

Our States have dynamic and strong economies. We also recognize the opportunities offered by the geoeconomic location of Central Asia and Azerbaijan.

I believe it is now important to intensify negotiations and action to establish East-West and North-South transport and logistics connectivity and to make them as concrete as possible. The Central Asia–Caspian Sea–South Caucasus–Europe corridor should play a key role here. We proceed from the understanding that cooperation among Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan as Caspian littoral States can ensure the integration and participation of the entire Central Asian region, as well as other countries, in these projects.

Turkmenistan has repeatedly stated its readiness to make its Caspian infrastructure available in our common interests and on a mutually beneficial basis.

We also see broad prospects for cooperation in energy. This concerns not only pipeline routes but also projects to supply electricity to interested countries and to establish sustainable links in the electric power sector. This is a vital investment in the future, a means of ensuring our countries’ energy security and a substantial safeguard against the fluctuations and instability in global energy markets that we are witnessing today.

Trade and economic ties also require a qualitative transformation. A key area is broad industrial cooperation and the establishment of complementary and related production facilities in our countries.

Cooperation in agriculture, particularly in processing industries, is also relevant. We should make the fullest use of our countries’ inherent climatic and geographical advantages and develop joint projects to establish large, export-oriented agro-industrial complexes capable of competing with other suppliers on quality and price. In this context, removing transport, customs and tariff barriers is becoming important.

Let us consider more flexible and effective arrangements and the introduction of modern methods and electronic systems.

Diversifying trade among our countries and increasing its volume is an urgent task. Here, too, I believe it would be appropriate to establish a mechanism for six-party cooperation.

Business unions and associations should take the initiative in this work. I am confident that their constructive ideas will receive support at State level.

Technological transformation is a separate subject. Here, too, I would propose considering models of cooperation both within and beyond our format. One option could be to invite leading foreign high-technology companies to participate in joint projects in Central Asia and Azerbaijan, based at our high-tech centres, by creating attractive and favourable conditions for cooperation.

In this context, Turkmenistan’s recently proposed “Smart Cities Diplomacy” initiative, as a stimulus for international technological and innovation cooperation, and the active participation of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in it appear promising.

Overall, I am convinced of the need to establish a new mechanism for our economic cooperation. I propose that we begin agreeing on its specific parameters in the near future.

Distinguished Participants!

Our common history and shared civilizational roots are defining factors in the inseparable destinies of our peoples and States and in our unique ability to understand one another. We carefully preserve and develop this great heritage. It was bequeathed to us by our great forebears: philosophers and enlighteners, the brilliant Magtymguly Pyragy, Nizami Ganjavi, Abai Kunanbaiuly, Jusup Balasagyn, Rudaki and Alisher Navoi.

I am confident that humanitarian cooperation must always remain a priority in our relations and continue to expand and grow richer. I believe that in this area, too, it would be logical to establish six-party mechanisms and develop substantive cooperation plans. Turkmenistan will fully support such an approach.

In conclusion, allow me once again to thank the distinguished Heads of State for accepting the invitation and for their constructive commitment to further close and productive cooperation among our fraternal peoples and States.

Source: Turkmenistan: Golden Age