The inaugural Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in the expanded “C6” format, held on 8 October 2026 in Awaza, Turkmenistan, highlighted the imperative of practical, long-term economic integration alongside joint security and environmental safeguards.
In his address, President Emomali Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan emphasized that the region’s trajectory must be driven by concrete execution of signed agreements. Outlining Tajikistan’s strategic vision, President Rahmon urged member states to transition toward deeper industrial, transport, and energy co-development, while establishing robust frameworks for regional security, water-climate resilience, and artificial intelligence governance.
Executive Snapshot: Key Proposals by President Emomali Rahmon
- Industrial Co-Production & Trade: Deepen industrial cooperation through joint processing facilities, regional value chains, and export-oriented projects involving small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Regional Green Development Strategy: Formulate a comprehensive C6 strategy focused on technological modernization, energy efficiency, and low-carbon industrial transition.
- Regional Oil Refinery Project: Reiterate the strategic initiative to co-develop a modern, high-tech regional oil refinery to fulfill the combined fuel needs of Central Asia and Azerbaijan.
- Regional AI Center in Dushanbe: Leverage the newly established Regional Artificial Intelligence Center in Tajikistan to pool regional compute capacity and accelerate AI integration across public and social sectors.
- Transport Corridor Synchronization: Eliminate administrative and tariff bottlenecks along multimodal transit routes connecting China, Central Asia, Azerbaijan, and European markets.
- Security & Afghanistan Framework: Step up joint countermeasures against cyberthreats, terrorism, and synthetic drug trafficking, while maintaining structured support for Afghan socio-economic stability.
The Full Speech
The complete official text and executive report of President Emomali Rahmon’s address is available on the official website of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan:
Full Press Release & Speech Report of President Emomali Rahmon:
https://www.president.tj/event/news/57799
Analytical Breakdown of the Position of Tajikistan
President Rahmon’s address delivered a comprehensive roadmap focused on converting political goodwill into structured, high-value regional assets.
1. Industrial Co-Production & Supply Chain Resilience
Underlining the need to move beyond simple commodity trading, President Rahmon advocated for structured industrial parks and joint processing plants. He emphasized creating intra-regional supply chains that adapt regional products to environmental and global market standards, ensuring local industries can collectively compete on international markets.
2. Energy System Interconnection & Green Strategy
To address rising power demands, Tajikistan called for closer integration of regional grid systems and shared financing mechanisms for energy infrastructure. Recognizing the global green shift, Rahmon proposed a Regional Green Development Strategy to streamline energy efficiency and clean technology adoption. He also re-emphasized his proposal for a major regional oil refinery to ensure stable fuel supplies across all member states.
3. Transport & Multimodal Transit Optimization
Emphasizing the region’s strategic geographic position bridging Eurasia, Rahmon urged member states to synchronize railway, highway, and maritime routes connecting China with Azerbaijan and Europe. He called for the removal of non-tariff barriers, alignment of customs procedures, and unified transit tariffs to increase corridor throughput.
4. Digital Integration & Artificial Intelligence
Highlighting digital transformation as a catalyst for economic growth, President Rahmon pointed to the newly created Regional Artificial Intelligence Center in Dushanbe. He invited member states to use this shared platform to aggregate national scientific capabilities and deploy AI tools in healthcare, agriculture, and public administration.
5. Security Coordination & Afghan Stability
Stressing that economic growth is impossible without security, Tajikistan called for enhanced intelligence-sharing and specialist training to combat terrorism, cybercrime, and illicit narcotics—noting a concerning rise in synthetic drug smuggling. President Rahmon reaffirmed Tajikistan’s commitment to supporting peaceful socio-economic recovery in neighboring Afghanistan.
6. Environmental Conservation & Glacier Protection
Addressing severe environmental pressures, Rahmon highlighted climate change, glacier degradation, and dust storms as direct threats to regional food security. He urged joint programs to restore agricultural land, preserve biodiversity, and protect fragile mountain ecosystems. /// nCa, 8 October 2026