The President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, paid a state visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan on June 22–23, 2026. During high-level talks, the sides discussed a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues, signed a package of joint documents, and confirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening political dialogue, expanding trade and economic ties, and implementing major transport-logistics and energy projects.
On the significance of the state visit and the prospects of Turkmen-Azerbaijani cooperation, AZERTAC correspondent spoke with the Director of the Scientific Center for Strategic Studies at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Ambassador Shiri Shiriyev.
— Mr. Shiriyev, what significance does the state visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan have for the further development of Azerbaijan–Turkmenistan relations and regional cooperation in the Caspian region?
— In my view, the state visit of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, to the Republic of Azerbaijan is important for further strengthening bilateral relations and developing cooperation in the Caspian region.
First of all, its political and diplomatic significance should be emphasized. The visit confirmed the high level of mutual trust and the stable nature of dialogue between the two countries, based on the principles of respect, equality, and good-neighborliness.
It is particularly important that such high-level contacts provide additional momentum for developing cooperation within the Caspian region, which is increasingly taking shape as a space of collaboration and interconnectivity.
In practical terms, the visit contributes to the further development of cooperation in energy, transport, logistics, and humanitarian fields, as well as to the strengthening of coordination on regional issues.
Thus, the state visit should be seen as an important step toward deepening the strategic partnership between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
— During the visit, the President of Turkmenistan visited the cities of Fuzuli and Shusha. How do you assess the symbolic and practical significance of this trip for strengthening trust between the two brotherly countries and expanding cooperation?
— The President of Turkmenistan’s visit to the cities of Fuzuli and Shusha should be regarded as an important element of the humanitarian and political dimension of bilateral relations.
First of all, this event carries a pronounced symbolic meaning that goes beyond the protocol nature of the visit. It reflects the high level of trust between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan and a shared desire to strengthen good-neighborly relations.
In international practice, such steps at the level of heads of state are traditionally seen as a manifestation of political will to strengthen long-term relations and support constructive processes.
Azerbaijan is currently implementing large-scale programs for the construction of modern infrastructure, including residential complexes, transport networks, energy facilities, and social institutions.
In this context, the visit creates additional opportunities for expanding cooperation in infrastructure development, exchange of experience, and the introduction of modern management and technological solutions.
This process forms a broad field for international exchange of experience in urban development, digital city governance, “smart” infrastructure, and environmentally oriented development.
Considering Turkmenistan’s accumulated experience in implementing infrastructure projects, as well as the traditionally constructive nature of bilateral cooperation, there are grounds for further expanding interaction in humanitarian, technical, and expert fields.
Therefore, the symbolic significance of the visit is organically complemented by its practical content related to expanding cooperation opportunities.
— Which areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan do you consider the most promising?
— The current stage of Azerbaijan–Turkmenistan relations is characterized by a transition to a more comprehensive model of cooperation based on technological modernization, expanded infrastructure connectivity, and deeper economic cooperation.
Energy cooperation remains a key area, while its content is gradually expanding through deeper processing, the introduction of environmentally friendly technologies, increased energy efficiency, and a transition to a low-carbon economy.
Promising areas include “green energy,” hydrogen technologies, and projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
The development of transport and logistics connectivity is becoming especially important. The geographical position of the two countries creates objective conditions for forming sustainable transit routes connecting Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the wider Eurasian space.
In this context, this refers to the development of additional transport corridors that enhance the resilience and flexibility of regional logistics.
Digitalization of transport systems and the introduction of intelligent logistics are important directions that improve the efficiency of international transportation.
Industrial cooperation also has significant potential—in oil and gas chemistry, shipbuilding, mechanical engineering, construction, and related sectors, as well as in digital transformation, including artificial intelligence, e-government, and digital management platforms.
Taken together, these areas form the basis for a long-term and sustainable partnership grounded in mutual complementarity and alignment of strategic interests.
Thus, Azerbaijan–Turkmenistan relations represent a steadily developing dialogue based on political trust, economic complementarity, and expanding humanitarian cooperation.
In the context of a changing regional and global agenda, cooperation between the two countries gains additional importance as a factor of stability and development in the Caspian region and the broader Eurasian space.
Correspondent — Parvana Gafarova.
