On September 14, 2023, the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov took part in the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia.

The forum was also attended by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as an honorary guest.

Addressing the participants of the Consultative Meeting, the Head of the Turkmen state Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude to the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon for his warm hospitality and excellent conditions for fruitful joint work.

The President of Turkmenistan in his speech emphasized that our country attaches fundamental importance to the format of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia as an interstate mechanism designed to become a guarantor of maintaining an atmosphere of friendship, good neighborliness and constructive regional cooperation in the interests of our peoples.

In this context, the head of state noted the special significance of the UN General Assembly Resolution of July 28, 2022, declaring Central Asia a Zone of Peace, Trust and Cooperation. At the same time, it was stated that the adoption of this document is considered as an important step towards strengthening the atmosphere of mutual understanding and cooperation in the region, transforming Central Asia into a space of lasting peace and security for solving economic, environmental, humanitarian problems and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the head of Turkmenistan said.

Our country will continue to actively work in this direction during the upcoming 78th session of the UN General Assembly. We intend to propose a number of initiatives for consideration by the world community, including those directly related to the development of our region, noted President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. In particular, this is the creation, under the auspices of the UN, of a meeting of the Dialogue on Security and Cooperation in Central Asia.

Among other initiatives of our country, the head of Turkmenistan named the beginning of consultations with relevant UN agencies to determine the optimal format and structure of the UN Special Program for the Aral Sea Basin, as well as the establishment of a specialized structure - the Regional Center for Technologies Related to Climate Change in Central Asia. Turkmenistan is ready to provide all the necessary infrastructure to host this Center in Ashgabat.

Having outlined the most important task of expanding interstate trade and economic relations and increasing the volume of mutual trade turnover, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that extreme specificity and effective measures are required here. In this regard, Turkmenistan proposes to consider the issue of creating a Central Asian Chamber of Commerce. The meaning and purpose of its work is to coordinate joint steps in the development of trade, ensure the commercial interests of all potential economic entities in the Central Asian market, and attract investment for the implementation of large regional projects.

Another area where the interests and goals of the Central Asian states must be reliably ensured and implemented is innovation and new technologies. Our countries have great potential for innovative growth, good scientific schools and technological developments.

It is necessary to combine these advantages, establish an exchange of experience, knowledge, skills, jointly study and implement advanced foreign competencies, provide the most favorable conditions for the development of innovative knowledge, and encourage youth creative initiative. In this context, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that giving the economies of the region’s states a pronounced innovative character and digital dimension is today a task of paramount importance, and it is better to do this together.

In this regard, it is proposed to create a Council of Central Asian Countries on New Technologies, which will coordinate joint efforts in this direction.

Another key component of the Central Asian economies is energy. Currently, the region is witnessing a process of formation of political, legal and economic conditions for a sustainable energy partnership, focused both on meeting intraregional demand and on accessing world markets through international transit corridors, stated the President of Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan is ready to supply its natural gas and electricity to the countries of Central Asia and through their territories to foreign markets on mutually beneficial terms. It seems possible to consider this proposal from the point of view of establishing long-term cooperation between our states. In this aspect, it seems appropriate to create a new form of five-sided interaction - the Energy Dialogue of Central Asian countries, the head of state noted.

The transport sector has been and remains a strategic component of cooperation. In this context, the head of Turkmenistan emphasized that joint efforts are gradually creating favorable conditions for freight and passenger traffic between the states of Central Asia, as well as with other regions of the Eurasian continent.

The key to the harmonious development of the region and its further prosperity is effective interaction in cultural and humanitarian issues. Today we can speak with satisfaction about significant progress and positive experience in successfully holding joint meetings of representatives of the creative intelligentsia, scientific conferences, exhibitions and other events.

In conclusion, the President of Turkmenistan once again confirmed the readiness of our country to further expand cooperation with the states of Central Asia.

In turn, the meeting participants noted that the format of the Consultative Meetings had confirmed its validity and effectiveness. It allows us to determine priority vectors of partnership in an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding.

It was also emphasized that extensive experience in regional cooperation has been accumulated, which has acquired new content in recent years. In this regard, a number of constructive proposals were voiced. Particular emphasis was also placed on the deep historical traditions of friendship and good neighborliness between the countries and peoples of the region.

The results of the Fifth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia are reflected in the adopted Joint Statement, which confirms the readiness of the parties for further full-format cooperation.

In addition, within the framework of the Summit, the Agreement on strengthening the interconnectedness of land transport in Central Asia, the Dushanbe communiqué of the first meeting of the ministers of transport of the Central Asian states, the Agreement between the Central Asian states on general directions of youth policy were signed, and the Regulations on the Council of National Coordinators for Consultative Meetings were adopted heads of state of Central Asia.