Azerbaijan has become a full-fledged member of the Consultative Meetings of Heads of State of Central Asia. The announcement came during the seventh such meeting, during which Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev highlighted that Azerbaijan and Central Asia today form ‘a single geopolitical and geo-economic region, whose importance in the world is steadily growing’.
The heads of state met on Sunday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasised that the decision to admit Azerbaijan to the consultative meetings format as a full-fledged participant would help ‘build a solid bridge between Central Asia and the South Caucasus, paving the way for the formation of a unified space of cooperation, which will undoubtedly strengthen the strategic interconnectedness and resilience of both regions’.
‘Undoubtedly, with Azerbaijan’s accession to our format, the voice of our region in the global community will become even more significant’, he added.
The leaders of the other Central Asian states gave their own praise to the initiative and to Azerbaijani Ilham Aliyev himself, who was present in-person at the meeting.
During his own speech, Aliyev noted that he had attended the previous two summits in 2023 and 2024 at the invitation of Tajik President Emomali Sharipovich Rahmon and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev. He further noted that in the past three years, he had visited Central Asian countries 14 times, while his Central Asian counterparts had visited Azerbaijan 23 times.
Aytan Farhadova
‘The relations between Azerbaijan and Central Asian states are quite unique. We are bound together by centuries-old history, spiritual and cultural heritage, brotherhood, friendship, and solidarity. We have not only maintained these ties but also infused them with new momentum, which has the nature of a strategic partnership’, Aliyev said.
In particular, he thanked the ‘fraternal support’ Central Asian countries have extended to Azerbaijan in its ‘large-scale efforts to revive the liberated territories’. He cited in particular the Mirzo Ulugbek School and the Kurmangazy Children’s Creativity Centre in Fuzuli — a ‘gift from our Uzbek, Kazakh and Kyrgyz brothers’ — and Turkmen’s support of a mosque, also in Fuzuli.
‘All of this will remain in the cherished memory of the Azerbaijani people as a lasting testament to our brotherhood and solidarity’, Aliyev said.
Nate Ostiller
He then went on to discuss the development of the Middle Corridor, noting that over the past three years, cargo transportation along the Middle Corridor via Azerbaijan has increased by 90%.
‘Today, Azerbaijan and Central Asia serve as a vital link and bridge between East and West, North and South’, he said.
He added that he was confident the 8 August agreements with Armenia in Washington would also contribute to ‘expanding transit opportunities’.
‘The construction of the Zangezur Corridor [the term used by Azerbaijan for the Trump Route] on the territory of Azerbaijan is nearing completion. With an initial throughput capacity of 15 million tons, this railway will become an important artery of the Middle Corridor. Construction of the highway that will form part of the Zangezur Corridor is also nearing completion’, Aliyev said.
In addition to attending the summit, Aliyev also held a one-on-one meeting with Uzbek President Mirziyoyev. The two heads have noticeably close ties — in July, the second Azerbaijan–Uzbekistan Supreme Interstate Council was held. During the discussions, a number of new agreements were signed increasing bilateral cooperation on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
