8 October 2026
On 8 October 2026, Avaza (Turkmenistan) hosted the eighth Consultative Meeting of the presidents of the Central Asian states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — with Azerbaijan taking part as a full participant for the first time. The leaders adopted a joint statement naming East–West and North–South transport corridors as priorities.
According to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, intraregional trade was about $13 billion in 2025 (around 8% of these countries’ foreign trade); the goal is at least $20 billion. Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed export-oriented agricultural processing plants, Shavkat Mirziyoyev a “six economies, one product” joint-manufacturing concept, and Ilham Aliyev joint investment funds. Transit cargo on the Trans-Caspian route (the “Middle Corridor”, from Central Asia across the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus to Europe) rose by almost 20% in the first eight months of 2026.
An important detail: Tokayev himself acknowledged that more than 200 regional initiatives have been proposed since 2018 but only a small share implemented, and proposed reviewing them. For agricultural trade, concrete rail projects will matter most: Kazakhstan is completing the Moyynty–Kyzylzhar and Darbaza–Maktaaral lines, and the Bakhty–Ayagoz line is due to open next year.
Sources: The Times of Central Asia, October 2026; The Astana Times, October 2026.