On October 8, the 8th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Central Asian Countries was held in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan.
elchi reports that the head of state Ilham Aliyev addressed the event.
Speech by President Ilham Aliyev:
-Dear Serdar Gurbangulyevich.
Dear Heads of State.
Dear friends.
First of all, I would like to thank the President of Turkmenistan for the invitation and traditional hospitality.
I am glad to be in brotherly Turkmenistan and beautiful Avaza again.
Last November, Azerbaijan became a full member of the Consultative Format of the Heads of State of Central Asia. I would like to thank all my esteemed colleagues once again for unanimously supporting this historic decision. In this regard, I would like to note the role of Turkmenistan and personally of the respected Gurbanguly Malikgulyyevich Berdimuhamedov. In August last year, he initiated Azerbaijan’s full participation in this format right here in Avaza.
In recent years, Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan relations have been developing dynamically. Since last year, five visits at the highest level have already been made. This reflects the intensity of our political dialogue and our mutual intention to further strengthen bilateral relations.
I would like to specifically mention the construction of a mosque in the city of Fuzuli at the initiative of the respected Gurbanguly Malikgulyyevich Berdimuhamedov. Last year, we participated together in laying its foundation. This gift from brotherly Turkmenistan to our country is another manifestation of the friendship and spiritual closeness between our peoples.
Brotherly support in the restoration of Azerbaijan’s liberated territories is of special importance to us. Uzbekistan has already built a school named after Mirzo Ulughbek in Fuzuli, Kazakhstan has built the Kurmangazy Children’s Creativity Center, and Kyrgyzstan has built a school named after Manas in Aghdam. We highly appreciate this assistance.
In recent years, Azerbaijan’s interaction with Central Asian countries has significantly expanded. Political relations are at a high level, and mutual high-level visits have become regular. Economic and trade cooperation is strengthening, mutual investments are increasing, and joint projects are being implemented. Last year, Azerbaijan’s trade turnover with Central Asian countries increased by more than 50 percent. Today, more than 400 companies with capital from Central Asian countries are actively operating in our country. In recent years, Azerbaijan has established joint investment funds with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The capital of each of these funds amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars. I believe that the potential of these funds should be utilized more actively, primarily for the implementation of joint projects, the creation of new production facilities, and the expansion of industrial cooperation. We should not be content with just increasing mutual trade, but also invest together, produce, and access foreign markets.
One of the main areas of our cooperation is transport. The Caspian Sea plays an increasingly important role in the transport interconnections between our countries. The transport infrastructure on both shores of the Caspian Sea is of great importance for connecting Central Asia with Azerbaijan and then with international markets. In recent years, we have been continuously expanding our transport capabilities. We have invested heavily in transport infrastructure, the development of seaports, airports, railways, and highways. Today, we are observing a significant increase in the volume of cargo transportation through the Caspian Sea. Our common goal is to make these routes more efficient and competitive. In parallel, the «Digital Silk Road» project is being implemented, and work is being done to develop fiber-optic lines along the bottom of the Caspian Sea. The Middle Corridor is gaining increasing importance – last year, the volume of transit cargo transportation along this route increased by more than 10 percent, and in the first eight months of this year, it increased by approximately another 20 percent.
The energy sector holds a special place in our cooperation. Azerbaijan plays a crucial role in the transit of energy resources from Central Asia to international markets. Oil from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan is transported through our country, and the volume of these shipments is increasing. Our cooperation in the field of renewable energy is continuously expanding. We are working jointly with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to create a green energy corridor.
Dear colleagues, the geopolitical significance of our cooperation format is not limited to joint projects in the fields of energy and transport. Peace, security, political and economic stability in our countries are the foundation of all our achievements, the guarantee of the successful future development of Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan, and the strengthening of our cooperation.
Thank you for your attention.