Development of friendly, brotherly relations with neighbouring states is one of the priority vectors of the foreign policy strategy of neutral Turkmenistan, which takes an initiative position in promotion of constructive regional and international cooperation. The trilateral meeting of National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedova, President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in "Avaza" national tourist zone on August 22 clearly attests to the fact.

Peoples of our countries are united with bonds, which have developed by centuries of friendship, brotherhood and good neighbourhood, tradition of mutual support, commonality of historical, cultural, and spiritual values. At the present period, it serves a reliable basis for development of fruitful cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats that also promotes the strengthening of regional and inter-regional partnership. In the given context, the tripartite summit held on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea has become an event of historical importance.

The agenda of negotiations, which preceded meetings of National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedova with heads of two neighbouring countries, covered a wide spectrum of areas of partnership. As Hero-Arkadag underlined in his speech, at present, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan show a high model of cooperation in the political-diplomatic sphere. Our countries successfully and fruitfully co-operate within large international organisations, first of all the United Nations Organization, Non-Alignment Movement, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Organization of Turkic states, Organization for Economic Co-operation and other authoritative structures. It is a weighty contribution to maintenance of peace, security and sustainable development in regional and global dimensions.

In recent years, three countries have made considerable efforts for expansion and deepening of partnership in various areas, including in economy and trade spheres. Thus, the great attention is given to effective consolidation of efforts in such sectors, as energy, transport, industry, agriculture, investments, digitalization and high technologies as well as ecology and preservation of the environment.

In particular, during the tripartite summit the importance of further development of interaction in the energy sphere where there is an impressive potential, was underlined. In this connection, the National Leader of the Turkmen people noted a considerable contribution of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to expansion of cooperation in this sector and realisation of new areas of export of energy carriers.

At that, the importance of creation of a reliable and steady model of partnership, which will meet the demand of three countries for energy and will generate necessary security factor for national energy supply systems, was underlined. Putting forward concrete initiatives on cooperation in this strategic area, Turkmenistan undertakes consecutive steps for their implementation, aspiring to make interaction with all interested foreign partners more effectively.

It was also stated that there are big prospects for productive cooperation in electric power industry. There as a concrete example, Hero-Arkadag cited delivery of the Turkmen electric power to the Republic of Uzbekistan. Today, capacities of the given branch of Turkmenistan provide possibilities for expansion of geography of export of electric power. In that connection, the presence of prospects for its export to Azerbaijan was marked. So, with the commissioning of a new power station with a capacity of 1574 MW on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian sea, additional possibilities for export of power energy to the neighbouring country and through its territory to European states will appear.

At the same time, the necessity of consideration of issues of cooperation in the gas sphere, in particular, connected with export of the natural «blue fuel» from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan was underlined.

Themes of trilateral cooperation in such actual areas, as transport and logistics as well as creation of an effective complex infrastructure became a subject of detailed discussion of the summit held in "Avaza" national tourist zone.  As the National Leader of the Turkmen people noted in the given context, cooperation of our countries in this segment of economy is strategically important for development of states of Central Asia and the Caspian basin. Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan occupy a favourable geographical position - at the crossroads of Eurasian routes of communication, namely - on the key site of the Great Silk road.  It creates positive preconditions to bring out transport-logistical partnership to a new level.

The transport-transit corridors connecting Asia and Europe, lying in territories of three countries as well as through Caspian and Black seas, play a significant role in economic development of many states of the continent and allow diversifying transport routes. Having expressed necessity to use available unique possibility, Hero-Arkadag proposed to start formation of the uniform transport strategy of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Having pointed out that increase of efficiency of partnership in the given sphere will be promoted by pursuing the co-ordinated and purposeful transport diplomacy at the international level, the National Leader of the Turkmen people emphasised the significance of expansion of cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, International Road Transport Union, Organisation for Co‑operation between Railways, International Maritime Organization.

During discussion of the issues, which were included in the agenda of the meeting, its participants also underlined priority of further strengthening and promotion of tripartite trade and economic cooperation, necessity of maintenance favourable conditions for this purpose. In that regard, Hero-Arkadag expressed confidence that based upon primordial traditions of friendship and good neighbourhood, our countries can essentially increase mutual goods turnover and encourage further economic growth.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people also marked the expediency of creation and active use of new forms of interaction between business entities, developments of frontier trade. It will allow expanding an assortment of mutually delivered goods and production. In the given plan, they hoped that the project of creation of a zone of frontier trade of "Dashoguz-Shavat" between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan would be realised until the end of the current year.

With a view of adjustment of industrial cooperation, Hero-Arkadag proposed to prepare the Program of joint investments into industrial projects in territories of three countries for 2026-2035, having noted that such approach will promote an effective exchange of technologies, creation of new workplaces and increase of competitiveness of national forms of production in the world markets.

Participants of the summit also supported intensification of direct contacts between business circles, including by means of organization of exhibitions and business forums in territories of three states. From its part, Turkmenistan undertakes effective steps to support the private sector, its involving in implementation of important projects in various branches and adopted government programs. In the given aspect, our country supports development and implementation of joint plans of action and initiatives for development of business, adjustment of close relations in the area of business communities in bilateral and multilateral formats.

An integral component of cooperation of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, certainly, is the cultural-humanitarian sphere. In the common opinion of the parties, expansion and deepening of fruitful interaction in the field will serve further rapprochement and consolidation of three fraternal people.

As Hero-Arkadag pointed out, in the present period a topical issue is preservation of rich historical and cultural heritage, language and the literature, national traditions and customs, national decorative and applied art, song and music art as well as carpet weaving art, horse breeding, support of efforts in their popularisation in the world.

During negotiations agreements on creation of favourable conditions for further development of wide humanitarian links between peoples of three countries were reached. The importance of strengthening of interaction in the spheres of education and sciences, public health services, sports and tourism was also underlined.

It is remarkable that at the meeting an agreement on establishment of brotherly relations between the Azerbaijan city of Fizuli and the city of Arkadag constructed at the initiative of the National Leader of the Turkmen people at the picturesque foothills of the Kopet Dagh was reached. Such links will promote enrichment of maintenance and expansion of friendly dialogue between states and people.

Thus, the trilateral summit talks held on August 22 in the International year of peace and trust has become a significant event in relations between Turkmenistan, the Azerbaijan Republic and Republic of Uzbekistan. During negotiations, National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President Ilham Aliyev and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev confirmed adherence of three friendly countries to multivector partnership and spoke for realisation of perspective joint projects, which meet general interests.

Having supported initiatives and proposals of Hero-Arkadag on an all-around development of interstate cooperation, heads of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan underlined the importance of reached arrangements, which attest to aspiration of the parties to give qualitatively a new impulse to traditional interaction. They also marked a historical significance of the meeting in Avaza national tourist zone, which served as venue of the present summit, by right recognised as the centre of constructive international partnership. The Third Conference of the United Nations on land-locked developing countries, which was held on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea in August and received a wide positive resonance in the world, can serve one of the bright evidences of the fact. 

The outcome of negotiations was strengthened with a number of signed documents.

The Joint Statement of Turkmenistan, the Azerbaijan Republic and Republic of Uzbekistan adopted following the results of summit by National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President Ilham Aliyev and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev became an acknowledgement of firmness of the long-term course for all-round strengthening of strategic partnership in the spirit of bonds of centuries-old friendship, good neighbourhood and mutual support. In this significant document, key vectors of tripartite cooperation were defined and the common opinion was expressed that its further development will serves maintenance of peace and stability, strengthening of trust and mutual understanding in regional and global scales.

In particular, taking into account the high potential in the sphere of transport and logistics as well as with a view of use of transit potential of three countries, the importance of intensification of multimodal transportation in the direction of the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan and back was underlined. In that regard, the significance of the signed tripartite Memorandum of mutual understanding in the field of transport-logistical cooperation was noted.

One of the priority areas also defines development and expansion of interaction between regions of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan by exchange of visits and organization of joint actions.

Along with political, trade and economic, energy and transport aspects, the document also pays attention to the importance of further strengthening of partnership in mitigation of of consequences of climate change and adaptation to it, combat of ecological risks, preservation of biodiversity, promotion of general projects and programs in the sphere of preservation of the environment, joint initiatives, which meet interests of three states within regional and international platforms.

At the same time, the Joint Statement signifies the importance of cooperation in the cultural-humanitarian sphere, including contacts between corresponding state structures and public associations, research centres, higher educational institutions, mass media, workers of culture and art.

All this clearly testifies to the fact that partnership built on principles of good will, trust, mutually beneficial and equal basis, has huge prospects, answering the goals of general well-being, prosperity and progress.