Turkmenistan is hosting a series of high-level international events from October 7 to 9. Leaders and representatives of the Central Asian states, Azerbaijan, CIS countries and Iran have gathered on the Caspian Sea coast.

 

The Avaza National Tourist Zone on Turkmenistan’s Caspian coast has become one of the region’s main diplomatic venues these days. From October 7 to 9, Avaza is hosting a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, the Caspian Environmental Summit, as well as a number of thematic conferences and international forums.

A distinctive feature of the current diplomatic program is that Turkmenistan is simultaneously working within several regional formats. On October 8, Avaza is hosting the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan. On October 9, the Council of Heads of State of the CIS and the Caspian Environmental Summit are scheduled to take place, with the participation of the five Caspian littoral states — Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran.

It should be noted that Turkmenistan holds the CIS chairmanship in 2026 and seeks to use its chairmanship to strengthen its diplomatic standing while maintaining its traditional policy of permanent neutrality. Official Ashgabat presents Avaza as a platform for dialogue, confidence-building and the search for joint solutions to political, economic, humanitarian and environmental challenges.

One of the central areas of focus is the Central Asia–Caspian–Azerbaijan connection. The agenda prepared by Turkmenistan includes security and stability, political and diplomatic cooperation, trade, energy and the development of sustainable transport corridors. Separate sections are devoted to climate issues, the water resources of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, the restoration of the Aral Sea and humanitarian cooperation.

In this context, Turkmenistan’s transport geography is becoming particularly important. The country is located on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea and has the potential to become an important component of routes linking Central Asia with the Caucasus, Türkiye and European markets. The development of the port infrastructure in Turkmenbashi, as well as cooperation with Azerbaijan across the Caspian Sea, gives Ashgabat an opportunity to strengthen its role in regional logistics.

At the same time, the environmental problems of the Caspian Sea are moving to the forefront. For all five littoral states, declining water levels, changes in the coastline, the impact on ports and shipping, and the condition of ecosystems and fish resources are becoming increasingly important. The shallowing of the Caspian Sea is expected to be one of the key issues addressed at the upcoming environmental summit.

The Caspian Sea is a crucial component of Turkmenistan’s transport infrastructure, while the Turkmenbashi port is connected to international trade and transit routes. Consequently, changes in the hydrological conditions of the Caspian Sea could affect not only the environment but also the long-term efficiency of transport projects.

At the same time, Turkmenistan is paying considerable attention to water resources in Central Asia. On October 7, the 95th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia was held in Turkmenbashi, along with a high-level meeting on the rational use of the water resources of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers.

Water is becoming an increasingly strategic issue for the region. Population growth, the expansion of agriculture, climate change and declining water availability are increasing the need for coordination among the Central Asian states. As a downstream country of the Amu Darya, Turkmenistan has a direct interest in mechanisms governing the distribution and management of regional water resources.

Another important element of Turkmenistan’s current diplomatic activity is its relationship with Russia. On October 7, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two sides reaffirmed the importance of bilateral cooperation and discussed the upcoming meeting in Avaza. The Turkmen side emphasized that the development of strategic cooperation with Russia remains one of the priorities of Ashgabat’s foreign policy.

At the same time, the presence of Russian representatives in Avaza does not indicate that Turkmenistan is abandoning its own multi-vector diplomacy. On the contrary, the current configuration demonstrates Ashgabat’s intention to maintain relations with Moscow while simultaneously developing ties with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states, strengthening cooperation with Azerbaijan and preserving an important channel of interaction with Iran.

Iran’s participation in the Caspian format is particularly significant. According to the Russian side, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will participate both in the expanded meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS and in the Caspian Environmental Summit.

Thus, for several days Avaza has become a crossroads of several geopolitical spaces at once: Central Asia, the Caspian region, the South Caucasus and the post-Soviet space. This provides Turkmenistan with an opportunity to demonstrate that its policy of permanent neutrality does not amount to diplomatic isolation.

On the contrary, Ashgabat seeks to position itself as a platform where states with different political and foreign-policy orientations can interact simultaneously. In this sense, the current events are significant not only for Turkmenistan itself but also for the emerging regional architecture around the Caspian Sea.

 

Turkmenistan is seeking to use its geographical position to strengthen its diplomatic and transit significance. Ashgabat’s Caspian policy increasingly intersects with the interests of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, while environmental issues are becoming increasingly linked to port infrastructure, shipping and the future of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. The simultaneous holding of three major political formats in Avaza demonstrates that the Caspian Sea is gradually moving from the periphery toward the center of the emerging regional architecture of Eurasia.

#TURKMENISTAN

#NEWS

08.10.2026 08:42