Awaza, October 10, 2026 – The Europe Today: Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has proposed five priority areas for strengthening cooperation among Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan, focusing on regional solidarity, peace and security, economic integration, technological development and humanitarian ties.
The proposals were presented at the eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan on October 8, according to Turkmen state media.
President Berdimuhamedov identified strengthening the six-party partnership and preserving solidarity, unity and mutual support among the participating countries and their peoples as the first priority.
The second priority focuses on ensuring lasting peace and security across the region and neighboring areas, while creating favorable conditions for effective political and diplomatic dialogue with international partners on pressing global and regional issues.
The third priority calls for revitalizing trade, economic and investment cooperation. The Turkmen president emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts to position Central Asia and Azerbaijan as key participants in transport and logistics, energy and industrial corridors along the East-West and North-South routes.
The fourth priority concerns accelerating technological development and introducing artificial intelligence to help the participating countries strengthen their competitiveness in the global arena.
The fifth priority involves expanding humanitarian, cultural and educational cooperation among the six countries and promoting exchanges with other nations. President Berdimuhamedov underscored the role of humanitarian engagement in fostering communication, mutual understanding and closer relations among peoples.
He noted that the existing relations among the six countries, supported by mutual trust, openness and understanding among their leaders, provide a solid foundation for advancing these priorities.
To strengthen diplomatic coordination, President Berdimuhamedov proposed establishing regular six-party consultations among foreign ministries within the framework of the Consultative Meetings. He also called for the development of a new mechanism for economic cooperation, suggesting that work begin soon to agree on its specific parameters.
Emphasizing the importance of humanitarian cooperation, the Turkmen president further proposed establishing dedicated six-party mechanisms and developing substantive plans to expand collaboration in this field.
He reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s readiness to fully support the proposed approach, highlighting the importance of sustained coordination and practical initiatives to deepen regional cooperation.
