A trilateral meeting between President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev took place in the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone.
Issues related to the development of multilateral cooperation in the trade, economic, transport, communications, energy, and humanitarian spheres were discussed.
At the beginning of his speech, the Head of our state once again warmly congratulated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the successful holding of the third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in early August.
The President of Uzbekistan also sincerely congratulated the leader of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, on the recent signing of a peace declaration with Armenia in Washington.
The Head of our state made a number of specific proposals on expanding multilateral cooperation.
The importance of fully utilizing the large transit potential of the three countries was noted.
Confidence was expressed that the interconnection of existing and prospective corridors will allow the formation of a sustainable and effective transcontinental route that will connect China with South Asia, the Middle East and Europe through the territories of our countries.
Currently, the construction of the China-Uzbekistan railway has begun. In addition, a memorandum has recently been signed with Pakistan and Afghanistan on the construction of the Trans-Caspian railway.
It was emphasized that the new cargo flows are intended to ensure the effective utilization of infrastructure, primarily in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Plans to develop the Middle Corridor, including the Zangezur Corridor, were also supported.
It was proposed to begin joint expert studies of the most important issues.
These include expanding capacity and creating modern logistics infrastructure, including in the ports of Turkmenbashi and Baku, implementing a coordinated tariff policy, digitizing procedures, and ensuring cargo control.
For its part, the Uzbek side expressed its readiness to reduce freight tariffs on a mutual basis in order to ensure the shortest and most profitable access to key markets for businesses.
In addition, it was noted that a consolidated approach would allow for pragmatic cooperation with states and international organizations that are potential donors to the development of logistics infrastructure.
Along with this, Uzbekistan expressed interest in creating its own ferry capacity for transporting cargo across the Caspian Sea.
In order to ensure energy security, the need to deepen cooperation and develop corridors for the export of energy resources to third countries was noted.
In this regard, the project to organize the supply of “green” energy to Europe was considered promising.
With regard to traditional hydrocarbons, it was proposed to explore prospects for cooperation in geological exploration and development of deposits on the Caspian shelf.
Another priority area is a significant increase in trade turnover and the scale of industrial cooperation. It was noted that in recent years, the volume of mutual trade between Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan has doubled. The share of industrial goods in the structure of trade turnover has reached 40 percent.
It was proposed to jointly prepare a Comprehensive action plan providing for the development of sustainable trade and logistics chains, creation of wholesale distribution centers and access to large retail chains, unification of phytosanitary and quarantine requirements, introduction of digital product labeling, launch of joint electronic platforms, and expansion of cooperation between commodity and raw materials exchanges.
As part of the expansion of humanitarian contacts, it was proposed to adopt a trilateral program of tourist and cultural exchanges, allowing for an increase in the flow of tourists from our countries and third countries, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and similarities in the traditions and customs of our peoples.
In conclusion, for the practical implementation of the initiatives put forward and the agreements reached, the Head of our state proposed to prepare a “road map” and launch a mechanism for joint meetings of ministers on key areas.