President Ilham Aliyev has accepted the invitation to the Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Leaders, which in 2026 will, for the first time, be held in the “Central Asia and Azerbaijan” format under Turkmenistan’s chairmanship. This was stated in his letter to Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Turkmenportal reports.
“I am grateful to you for the invitation to the Consultative Meeting of Heads of State, which next year will be held in the new ‘Central Asia and Azerbaijan’ format. I accept it with great pleasure,” the message reads.
Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan’s accession to the Consultative Meeting format as a country with significant political authority and economic strength is an important historic event that will give new momentum to the growing role of the Central Asian region on the global stage.
The President of Azerbaijan noted that Azerbaijan together with the Central Asian states forms a strategically important, unified historical, cultural, and geopolitical space. “We consistently attach great importance to strengthening regional cooperation, especially the rapidly developing partnerships with the Central Asian states, which share common historical, religious, and cultural roots,” Aliyev stated.
The Azerbaijani head of state expressed confidence that the upcoming high-level meeting will promote the full realization of the Central Asian states’ partnership potential, support the region’s sustainable development as a whole, and make a substantial contribution to opening new horizons of cooperation.
Aliyev congratulated Turkmenistan on assuming the chairmanship of the Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State in 2026 and highly praised Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow’s role in shaping this cooperation format.
