Jordan Daily - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev concluded a working visit to Turkmenistan on Friday after attending regional summits focused on political cooperation, transport links and environmental challenges facing the Caspian Sea.
Aliyev took part in the eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Azerbaijan and Central Asia, a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) leaders and a Caspian environmental summit during his visit on Oct. 8-9.
In a statement obtained by the the Azerbaijan Embassy in Amman, the meetings highlighted Azerbaijan's efforts to strengthen ties with Central Asian countries, expand its role as a regional transport and logistics hub and coordinate responses to the Caspian Sea's declining water levels.
Regional cooperation
At the consultative meeting on Thursday in the Awaza complex in Turkmenbashi, leaders of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed a joint statement and a decision on the meeting's organisational documents.
Aliyev thanked the host country for organising the gathering and reiterated Azerbaijan's appreciation for unanimous support for its admission as a full participant in the Central Asian consultative format in November 2025.
In talks with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the two leaders discussed political and economic relations, transport and transit, logistics, cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as cooperation on Caspian Sea issues and within international organisations.
Azerbaijan also took part in a CIS national food festival, showcasing traditional cuisine, tea culture, carpet weaving, kelaghayi silk headscarves and ceramics.
Transport and CIS priorities
At the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting on Friday, Aliyev praised the organisation's role in maintaining political dialogue and promoting humanitarian and cultural cooperation.
He thanked member states for supporting the selection of Lachin as a CIS cultural capital and highlighted the third CIS Games, hosted by Azerbaijan across seven cities.
Transit freight through Azerbaijan rose 10% in the first half of 2026 to about 8 million tonnes, Aliyev said, outlining a medium-term goal of increasing freight volumes along both the east-west and north-south corridors to 15 million tonnes each.
The targets underscore Baku's ambition to strengthen its position as a key link between regional markets and international trade routes.
Aliyev also welcomed support for Azerbaijan to serve as co-chair of the CIS in 2027, saying the country was ready to assume the organisation's chairmanship in 2028 and host a meeting of CIS leaders that autumn.
Caspian Sea concerns
At the environmental summit, Aliyev called for stronger regional coordination to address falling Caspian Sea water levels.
He said the sea's surface area had shrunk by more than 20,000 square kilometres, while nearly 30,000 hectares of dry land had emerged in Azerbaijan's sector.
The decline threatens ecosystems, coastal communities, economic activity, ports and transport infrastructure, he said.
Aliyev renewed a proposal he made at the sixth Caspian summit in Ashgabat in 2022 for a permanent cooperation mechanism, comprehensive scientific assessments and coordinated measures to identify the causes and consequences of the decline.
He cited reduced river inflows, human activity and climate change as factors requiring further assessment, and called for continued cooperation among the five Caspian littoral states under the 2018 convention on the sea's legal status.
Berdymukhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan's readiness to work with its partners on Caspian environmental issues.
