BAKU, July 16 — The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, held a high-level bilateral meeting with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan, as part of the latter’s official visit to Baku. The meeting focused on expanding cooperation between the two countries across key strategic sectors.
The visit is part of a broader effort by both nations to strengthen diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, both Caspian littoral states, have significantly advanced their bilateral agenda in recent years, marked by growing collaboration in energy, transport, regional security, and multilateral diplomacy.
The two leaders held a private meeting to discuss a wide-ranging cooperation agenda, including:
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Increasing connectivity through Caspian Sea infrastructure;
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Coordinating positions on regional security and multilateral platforms;
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Deepening trade and investment ties, particularly in energy and logistics;
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Enhancing cooperation in education, culture, and humanitarian fields.
Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are key players in the Caspian energy space, both involved in the development and transit of hydrocarbon resources to regional and European markets. Their cooperation is essential to emerging projects that support diversification of energy exports, including initiatives linked to the Trans-Caspian corridor and broader East-West trade routes.
Both countries maintain neutral or balanced foreign policies and emphasize sovereignty, non-interference, and regional dialogue in their diplomatic strategies. They also cooperate in major international organizations, including the United Nations and the Organization of Turkic States, and have coordinated efforts in frameworks such as the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which recently held its 17th summit in the Azerbaijani city of Khankendi.
The visit also reaffirmed the importance of continued inter-parliamentary relations and public diplomacy, with both governments recognizing people-to-people ties and shared cultural heritage as central to bilateral cooperation.
The Azerbaijani and Turkmen leaderships have signaled a long-term strategic approach to relations, emphasizing the importance of institutional mechanisms for consistent dialogue, coordination on regional transportation and energy integration, and stable political trust.
This visit marks another step in consolidating the relationship between the two Caspian neighbors and is expected to result in follow-up initiatives and agreements in the coming months.
