8th Consultative Meeting of C6 Heads of State underway in Turkmenistan

The 8th Consultative Meeting of C6 heads of state — Azerbaijan and the Central Asian nations — has begun in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan, with the presidents of Azerbaijan (Ilham Aliyev), Kazakhstan (Kassym-Jomart Tokayev), Kyrgyzstan (Sadyr Japarov), Tajikistan (Emomali Rahmon), Turkmenistan (Serdar Berdimuhamedov), and Uzbekistan (Shavkat Mirziyoyev) attending.

Sadyr Japarov announced that Ilham Aliyev will chair the Consultative Meeting in 2027.

"I am confident that Azerbaijan's chairmanship will give a new impetus to our joint work and the development of mutually beneficial cooperation. The Kyrgyz Republic is ready to provide the necessary support and facilitate the successful implementation of the priorities of Azerbaijan's chairmanship",

Japarov said.

Serdar Berdimuhamedov said Azerbaijan's inclusion in the C5+1 format opens broad prospects for cooperation with partners in Asia and Europe, calling it a significant milestone, especially economically.

"The role of Central Asia and Azerbaijan as key logistics and energy hubs is steadily growing, which opens up promising prospects for cooperation with partners in Asia and Europe",

Berdimuhamedov said.

The leader of Turkmenistan also drew attention to the rapid changes in the global geopolitical landscape. He noted the opportunity to set and achieve ambitious strategic goals.

"The dynamic growth of our countries’ economies, their diversification, and the improvement of their quality and technological level allow us to significantly increase business partnerships in areas of shared interest and on mutually beneficial terms",

Berdimuhamedov said.

The President added that strengthening shared cultural and spiritual heritage, as well as developing humanitarian cooperation, remains a priority.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude to the Central Asian leaders for supporting last November's decision to admit Azerbaijan as a full member, highlighting Turkmenistan's role and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's initiative in Avaza.

"In this regard, I would like to note the role played by Turkmenistan and, personally, by the respected Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov. It was right here, in Avaza, in August last year, that he initiated Azerbaijan's full participation in this format",

Ilham Aliyev said.

Aliyev noted the dynamic development of bilateral ties with Turkmenistan and its assistance in restoring liberated territories, and cited over 50% growth in trade with Central Asia, plus joint investment funds with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

"I believe their potential should be utilized more actively, primarily for the implementation of joint projects, the creation of new manufacturing facilities, and the expansion of industrial cooperation. We must not only increase mutual trade; it is important to jointly invest, produce, and enter external markets",

Aliyev said.

On transport, he highlighted the Caspian's role and large-scale infrastructure investment.

"Our common task is to make these routes more efficient and competitive. In parallel, the Digital Silk Way project is being implemented, and work is underway to lay fiber-optic lines along the bed of the Caspian Sea. The Middle Corridor is acquiring ever greater significance; last year, the volume of transit cargo along this route grew by more than 10%, and in the first eight months of the current year, by almost another 20%",

Aliyev said.

He also stressed energy cooperation, including renewables:

"Azerbaijan plays an important role in the transit of energy resources from Central Asia to international markets. Oil from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan is transported through the territory of our country, and the volume of these shipments is growing".

The President also spoke about the geopolitical significance of this format.

"Peace, security, and political and economic stability in our countries form the foundation of all our successes and serve as a guarantee for the future successful development of the Central Asian states and Azerbaijan, as well as the strengthening of our interaction",

Aliyev said.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called Central Asia and Azerbaijan hubs of growth and geopolitical interaction in Eurasia, stressing peace and unity as strategic pillars.

"Therefore, we must do everything possible to ensure that our region continues to remain a space of peace, stability, and sustainable development",

Tokayev said.

Tokayev proposed a joint action plan to raise C6 trade turnover to $20 billion, noting regional trade reached about $13 billion last year.

"This represents about 8% of our states' total trade turnover. Therefore, I propose instructing the governments to develop and adopt a joint action plan aimed at raising this figure to at least $20 billion",

Tokayev said.

He also raised the possibility of integrating the Zangezur Corridor into the Middle Corridor to boost the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) potential.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated Azerbaijan on assuming the chairmanship.

"I am confident that under the leadership of the Azerbaijani side, work within our format will receive additional impetus, while fraternal cooperation will help strengthen unity, trust and solidarity",

Mirziyoyev said.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev called the meeting historic, marking Azerbaijan's first participation, and urged a shift from mutual trade to joint production.

He underscored the importance of developing a comprehensive regional program for trade and economic cooperation extending to 2035.

"We have already reached the point where simple trade with each other is not enough. We need to create a final product together. The formula 'six economies - one product' well conveys the meaning of what we should strive for",

Mirziyoyev said.

The President of Uzbekistan proposed hosting a Central Asia–Azerbaijan business forum in Uzbekistan in 2027 to advance this initiative

Emomali Rahmon expressed Tajikistan's readiness to support Azerbaijan's chairmanship and stressed the group's resource potential.

"This opens up vast opportunities for establishing joint ventures and industrial complexes, as well as for processing natural resources",

Rahmon said.

Rahmon called for faster adoption of digital and green technologies, innovation, and AI, and for stronger cooperation in trade, services, production, exports, and agriculture, highlighting the significance of multimodal routes linking China, Central Asia, and Azerbaijan with European markets.