On 22 August 2025, a meeting took place in the Awaza National Tourism Zone between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, in both one-on-one and expanded formats.
Berdimuhamedov emphasized that interstate relations, rooted in centuries-old traditions of good neighborliness and principles of mutual benefit, are characterized by dynamic development. He expressed confidence that the current meeting would provide a strong impetus to elevate regional partnerships to a qualitatively new level.
The President of Azerbaijan thanked the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty for the warm hospitality and excellent organization of the high-level meeting in Awaza. He highlighted the historical significance of the summit between Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan, stating, “I highly value this; it is a very good initiative. Our peoples are united by a shared history, culture, language, and religion. Discussions among brotherly nations in a trilateral format are of great importance, will bring significant benefits, and yield excellent results.”
The talks continued in an expanded format with the participation of delegations from both countries, focusing on strengthening cooperation in political, economic, cultural, and other spheres.
President Aliyev praised the internationally significant transport and logistics infrastructure developed in Turkmenistan, noting its importance for the modern revival of the Great Silk Road. He expressed confidence in the significant potential for advancing bilateral relations in energy, transport, logistics, transit, digitalization, and cultural ties.
During the expanded talks, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the brotherly ties between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are long-term in nature. The positions of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan on key issues of global and regional politics are largely aligned or similar. The countries actively cooperate within the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization of Turkic States, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and other platforms.
Emphasis was placed on the development of bilateral trade and economic ties, where there are vast opportunities for expanding partnerships. Regarding transport potential, the National Leader of the Turkmen people highlighted that regular ferry services between the Caspian Sea ports of Turkmenbashi and Alat serve as a clear demonstration of effective joint activities in the transport and logistics sector.
Given the modern infrastructure and capabilities of Turkmen and Azerbaijani seaports, Berdimuhamedov proposed considering the creation of maximally favorable conditions and preferences for cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, including multimodal transport by land and sea. He also stressed the need to develop air connections between the two countries.
In turn, Ilham Aliyev underscored the potential for developing the East-West transport corridor passing through the territories of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. “Our joint activities in this area and steps toward coordination will benefit a wide geography. Today, reliable transport links connecting Europe with the Far East pass through our countries,” he said.
Energy was identified as a key area of Turkmen-Azerbaijani partnership, with significant prospects for joint efforts in supplying electricity from the Caspian region to Europe.
The meeting also addressed cultural cooperation, including joint participation of Turkmen Akhal-Teke horses and Azerbaijani Karabakh horses in international festivals, exhibitions of Turkmen and Azerbaijani artists’ works, and concerts of folk and classical music. Cooperation in healthcare, education, and science was also discussed.
The meeting was attended by:
From the Azerbaijani side:
- Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy
- Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration
- Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC
From the Turkmen side:
- Mammetkhan Chakyev, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers for Transport and Communications
- Khojamyrat Geldymyradov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers for Economy and Finance
- Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Batyr Amanov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers for the Oil and Gas Sector
///nCa, 23 August 2025 (photo credit – official website of the President of Azerbaijan)