A trilateral meeting was held in the Avaza National Tourist Zone between the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The development of multifaceted cooperation in trade and economic, transport and communications, energy, and humanitarian spheres was discussed.

At the beginning of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan once again warmly congratulated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the successful hosting of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries earlier in August.

The President of Uzbekistan also sincerely congratulated the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the recent signing of the peace declaration with Armenia in Washington.

The President of Uzbekistan put forward several specific proposals for expanding multilateral cooperation.

The importance of fully utilizing the vast transit potential of the three countries was emphasized.

It was expressed with confidence that the integration of existing and prospective corridors will make it possible to establish a stable and efficient transcontinental route, which will connect China with South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe through the territories of our countries.

At present, construction of the China – Uzbekistan railway has begun. In addition, a memorandum was recently signed with Pakistan and Afghanistan on the Trans-Afghan Corridor project.

It was emphasized that the new freight flows are intended to ensure the effective utilization of infrastructure, primarily in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Support was also expressed for plans to develop the Middle Corridor, including the Zangezur Corridor.

A proposal was made to begin joint expert work on the most important issues.

These include expanding capacity and creating modern logistics infrastructure, particularly in the ports of Turkmenbashi and Baku, implementing a coordinated tariff policy, digitalizing procedures, and ensuring cargo control.

For its part, the Uzbek side expressed its readiness, on a reciprocal basis, to reduce cargo transportation tariffs to ensure the shortest and most favorable access for businesses to major markets.

It was noted that a consolidated approach would make it possible to build pragmatic cooperation with states and international organizations that are potential donors for the development of logistics infrastructure.

Along with this, Uzbekistan expressed its interest in establishing its own ferry capacities for the transportation of goods across the Caspian Sea.

To ensure energy security, the necessity of strengthening cooperation and developing corridors for the export of energy resources to third countries was also emphasized.

In this regard, the project of organizing supplies of green energy to Europe was described as promising.

In the area of traditional hydrocarbons, it was proposed to explore prospects for cooperation in geological exploration and the development of deposits on the Caspian shelf.

Another priority direction identified was a substantial increase in trade turnover and the scale of industrial cooperation. It was noted that in recent years, Uzbekistan’s trade volumes with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have doubled, with industrial goods now accounting for 40 percent of the trade structure.

It was proposed to jointly prepare a Comprehensive Action Plan providing for the development of sustainable trade and logistics chains, the establishment of wholesale distribution centers and access to major retail networks, the unification of phytosanitary and quarantine requirements, the introduction of digital product labeling, the launch of joint electronic platforms, and the expansion of cooperation between commodity exchanges.

Within the framework of expanding humanitarian contacts, it was proposed to adopt a trilateral program of tourism and cultural exchanges, which would increase the flow of tourists from our countries and from third states, showcasing the rich common cultural heritage and the closeness of the traditions and customs of our peoples.

In conclusion, to implement the proposed initiatives and agreements effectively, the President of Uzbekistan proposed preparing a roadmap and establishing a mechanism for joint ministerial meetings in key areas.

UzA