A trilateral meeting between the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the People’s Council Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was held in the Awaza National Tourism Zone on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea.
The leaders discussed prospects for expanding cooperation across trade, transport, energy, and humanitarian spheres.
President Mirziyoyev congratulated Berdimuhamedow on the successful hosting of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries earlier this month and extended his congratulations to President Aliyev on the recent signing of a peace declaration with Armenia in Washington.
Expanding transport and logistics
The talks emphasized the importance of maximizing the transit potential of the three countries. The leaders expressed confidence that linking existing and future transport corridors would create a reliable transcontinental route connecting China with South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Uzbekistan highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects, including the construction of the China–Uzbekistan railway and the recently signed memorandum with Pakistan and Afghanistan on the Trans-Afghan Corridor. These initiatives, the leaders noted, would enhance the role of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as key transit hubs.
The development of the Middle Corridor, including the Zangezur route, was also supported. The parties agreed to begin joint work at the expert level on increasing throughput capacity, building modern logistics facilities in the ports of Turkmenbashi and Baku, aligning tariff policies, digitizing customs procedures, and improving cargo control.
Uzbekistan expressed readiness to reduce freight rates on a reciprocal basis to make regional trade routes more efficient and attractive for businesses. Tashkent also voiced interest in creating its own ferry fleet for transporting cargo across the Caspian Sea.
Energy and trade cooperation
Energy security and diversification were also in focus. The leaders underlined the importance of developing energy export corridors to third countries and discussed opportunities for joint projects, including the supply of renewable “green” energy to Europe. Prospects for cooperation in geological exploration and hydrocarbon development on the Caspian shelf were also raised.
In trade and industry, President Mirziyoyev noted that Uzbekistan’s trade turnover with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan has doubled in recent years, with industrial products accounting for 40% of trade. He proposed drafting a comprehensive action plan to promote sustainable trade chains, establish wholesale and distribution centers, harmonize standards and labeling systems, and expand cooperation between commodity exchanges.
The leaders also encouraged closer engagement between regional authorities and business communities, including through exhibitions, trade fairs, and joint business forums under the chambers of commerce and industry.
The meeting also touched on strengthening humanitarian and cultural exchanges. A proposal was made to adopt a tripartite tourism and cultural program to promote greater tourist flows and highlight the shared cultural heritage and traditions of the three nations.
To ensure follow-up, President Mirziyoyev suggested preparing a joint “roadmap” for the implementation of the initiatives discussed and launching a mechanism for regular ministerial meetings to coordinate progress.
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