The region is preparing for the next step. Foreign ministers from Central Asian states and Azerbaijan have agreed draft agendas and final documents expected to be signed at the eighth Consultative Meeting on October 8, DKNews.kz reports.
The ministerial meeting took place on October 7 in Turkmenbashi. Kazakhstan was represented by Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi. His current position is listed on the official website of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Six countries move toward concrete agreements
During the meeting, the foreign ministers discussed ways to further develop cooperation within the Consultative Meetings format and exchanged views on key regional and international issues.
The main practical outcome was the approval of draft documents for the upcoming leaders’ meeting. The summit will take place in Turkmenistan on October 8. The Turkmen side had previously announced that the meeting would be held in the Avaza National Tourist Zone.
That makes the ministerial meeting more than a standalone diplomatic event. It serves as the final stage of preparations for decisions expected to be taken at the level of heads of state.
Azerbaijan is now participating in the format as a full member. According to official Turkmen sources, the decision was made at the previous Consultative Meeting in Tashkent, effectively turning the mechanism into a six-party regional format.
Kazakhstan focuses on trade, energy and routes across the Caspian
Mukhtar Tleuberdi said that since the first summit in 2018, the participating countries had made significant progress in strengthening trust and bringing Central Asian states and Azerbaijan closer together.
“Thanks to the political will of the heads of state, relations between our brotherly countries have reached a qualitatively new level. The Consultative Meetings have given significant momentum to the comprehensive deepening of cooperation in trade, industrial cooperation, energy, transport, logistics and digital technologies,” Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi said.
For Kazakhstan, the economic agenda stands out in particular. Trade, industrial cooperation, energy, transport and logistics are among the key areas of cooperation, all of which are directly linked to connectivity across the Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also previously highlighted the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route when discussing foreign economic ties and international transport projects.
The summit agenda goes beyond diplomacy
Turkmenistan had earlier outlined five major areas for the leaders’ meeting. Alongside political cooperation and international security, the agenda includes trade and economic partnership, energy and the development of sustainable transport and logistics corridors.
Environmental issues will also form a separate part of the discussions. These include climate adaptation, the water resources of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, and efforts related to restoring the Aral Sea.
Education, science, culture and youth exchanges are also on the agenda. This means the expected agreements could cover several areas of direct relevance to Kazakhstan, from freight routes and energy to water resources and regional environmental policy.
Key decisions move to the presidential level on October 8
The foreign ministers have already agreed the draft agenda and final documents. The next stage will be the meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia and Azerbaijan on October 8.
According to the official agenda published earlier by the host country, the summit will focus on security, the economy, energy, transport corridors, the environment and water resources.
Attention now turns to October 8, when it will become clear which of the prepared agreements will be signed by the heads of state and what mechanisms the six countries will adopt to implement them.
