A party from the same region: Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to cooperate

Uzbekistan is considering the possibility of acquiring vessels from shipyards in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, the country's Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov said. The leaders of the three countries previously signed a trilateral agreement providing for the creation of joint companies in the field of transport, logistics and specialized industries. Tashkent, Baku and Ashgabat are creating a new regional union, but this is based not only on the desire for regional integration, but also on compliance with the EU's Global Gateway strategic initiative, which provides access to the raw materials of Central Asia and Afghanistan. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

Regional Alliance

"Turkmenistan, like Azerbaijan, has a shipbuilding plant. We have agreed that we will consider the issue of acquiring vessels at these shipyards. It is necessary to work out all technical issues," said Ilkhom Makhkamov, Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Alexander Polegenko

He believes that coordination between the countries "will significantly reduce transport costs and the logistical burden on producers and shippers of the three countries, creating a more efficient and predictable corridor for goods." He also added that at present, a sharp increase in traffic volumes has led to significant logistical congestion, due to which downtime reaches 30-40 days.

According to the head of the Ministry of Transport, the country's goal is to start transportation using its own ferries across the Caspian Sea, which will "strengthen transport independence and accelerate cargo flow."

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Uzbekistan agreed on this with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan at a summit held in the Avaza national tourist zone. At this meeting, the three states announced the birth of a new regional union for the development of transport and logistics infrastructure.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev held bilateral talks with Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council) Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and also held a full-scale trilateral summit.

The leaders concluded that the countries "have enormous transit potential," and by combining existing and new transport corridors, "it is possible to create a reliable and efficient route that will connect China with South Asia, the Middle East and Europe through the territories of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan."

Photo: Global Look Press/Cfoto/Keystone Press Agency

Aliev, Mirziyoyev and Berdimuhamedov discussed the development of the Middle Route, including the Zangezur Corridor, in particular the modernization of the ports of Turkmenbashi and Baku. The leaders paid special attention to increasing their capacity, creating modern logistics and a unified tariff policy, digitalization and cargo control.

Uzbekistan previously signed a memorandum with Pakistan and Afghanistan on the Trans—Afghan Corridor, and construction of the China–Uzbekistan railway has begun.

Berdimuhamedov spoke about the prospects of the project of supplying "green energy" to Europe. In addition, he invited the countries to explore opportunities for the development of deposits on the Caspian shelf.

In the interests of the EU

The current union of the three countries has not yet been formed, moreover, in order for the partnership to make sense, Kazakhstan's participation is necessary. At the same time, the alliance strives to strengthen the positions of its members in the international arena. And if real transport and logistics projects are implemented that would be beneficial to all participants, it can become full-fledged.

Photo: x.com/presidentaz

The current initiative is not only a commitment to regional integration, but also in line with the European strategic Global Gateway project, which provides access to the raw materials of Central Asia and Afghanistan.

The next step will be the summit of the heads of State of Central Asia, which will be held in September in Tashkent. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has also been invited to attend. In December, the international forum "Peace and Trust" will be held in Ashgabat, to which all European leaders have been invited, including the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, presidents and prime ministers of several European countries.

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In addition, on the eve of the meeting between Aliyev, Mirziyoyev and Berdimuhamedov, talks were held in Washington between Turkmenistan's Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The American authorities have approved Ashgabat's commitment to actively participate in trans-Caspian and other regional transport and logistics projects.

What do the experts think

Brussels has long been trying to distance Central Asia from Russia, as EU countries are interested in the region's raw materials and logistics infrastructure, Daria Saprynskaya, a researcher at the Laboratory for Modern Central Asia and the Caucasus Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.

"They support the diversification of international relations in Central Asia in order to provide themselves with favorable conditions when buying raw materials from the region and using it as a transport and logistics hub," the expert explained.

Photo: Global Look Press/Lantyukhov Sergey/news.ru

According to the political scientist, Brussels is striving to implement the Global Gateway project, which was launched in 2021 as an alternative to the Chinese Belt and Road.

— It aims to conclude long-term contracts for the implementation of infrastructure and digital projects at the expense of the EU in Asia and Africa. Earlier, the former head of the European Union's foreign policy service, Josep Borrell, admitted that the program could be considered as a tool against strengthening the influence of Russia and China, the specialist emphasized.

Azerbaijani political analyst Ilgar Velizade, in a conversation with Izvestia, noted that the trilateral format created in Avaza "is rather a factor for creating regional stability."

— This format is not designed to satisfy the interests of external players — neither the European Union nor any other country, it is aimed at creating an environment of interaction that would most fully realize the interests of these states. It is very important for all three countries to implement a transport strategy to ensure access to foreign markets," the expert explained.

According to him, cooperation with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan opens up opportunities for Azerbaijan to enter the Afghan, and then the Pakistani direction. Baku plans to implement a large investment package in Pakistan worth about $2 billion.

Photo: Global Look Press/Zhao Yusi/XinHua

— Reliable transit and a reliable transport base are one of the main conditions for the implementation of these large-scale transport projects. The possibility of diversifying energy relations with promising countries, partners, and markets remains an important topic for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In this case, Azerbaijan acts as a transit link for them in the European direction," the specialist explained.

The analyst added that there is an intersection of interests with the Global Gateway program.

— Because there are interests of the countries of the region to supply their energy resources to the promising European energy market. We are talking not only about traditional energy sources such as gas and oil, but also about great opportunities for exporting "green energy," the analyst emphasized.

He added that Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are active participants in the Organization of Turkic States. In addition, in recent years, the parties have been actively integrating into large-scale projects on regional security, including participation in the work of the SCO and raising their status in this organization.

— All three countries pursue a fairly independent foreign policy, they try to ensure that external players do not use them as a springboard to achieve their goals. But at the same time, they are open to cooperation with all external players, as this allows them to realize their transport economic potential to the fullest," the source believes.