BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. Turkmenistan
and Azerbaijan discussed regional cooperation and their role as a
transport and transit bridge connecting Europe and Asia.
The issues were discussed during a meeting between Azerbaijani
and Turkmen Ambassadors to Belgium, Mahammad Ahmadzada and Sapar
Palvanov, according to Palvanov's social media post.
The sides discussed Turkmen-Azerbaijani relations, regional
cooperation, Azerbaijan's participation in the Consultative
Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the region's
growing engagement with the European Union.
“We had a warm and substantive exchange on Turkmen-Azerbaijani
relations, regional cooperation, Azerbaijan’s participation in the
Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia, and
the growing engagement of our region with the European Union,”
Palvanov said.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have been strengthening
their bilateral partnership, with transport, trade, energy and
Caspian Sea cooperation forming important areas of interaction. The
two countries have also been expanding practical cooperation
between their ports and transport authorities, including efforts to
increase cargo flows and improve multimodal connections across the
Caspian Sea. In January 2026, the heads of the Turkmenbashi
International Seaport and Baku International Sea Port discussed
increasing cargo traffic, developing the Middle Corridor and
expanding transport links between the two countries. The sides also
considered the Caspian Sea-Black Sea route connecting Turkmenbashi,
Baku, Poti, Batumi and Constanta.
Maritime cooperation has gained an additional dimension through
the development of the two countries' merchant fleets. In May 2026,
Turkmenistan commissioned the dry cargo vessel “Gadamly”, built at
the Balkan Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Yard in Turkmenbashi. The
vessel has a cargo capacity of 6,100 tons and can carry up to 240
containers, and it arrived at the Baku International Sea Trade Port
on May 12, where it was officially welcomed by representatives of
the two countries' transport and logistics sectors. The arrival of
“Gadamly” provided a practical example of the growing maritime
interaction between the two sides and its role in cargo
transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport
Route.
The maritime relationship has also developed in the opposite
direction, with Azerbaijan contributing to the modernization of
Turkmenistan's fleet. On June 22, 2026, Azerbaijan presented the
“Dostlug” oil tanker to Turkmenistan in a ceremony attended online
by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serdar Berdimuhamedov. Built at Baku
Shipyard, the 141-meter tanker has a deadweight of 7,875 tons and
was transferred to Turkmenistan as a gift from Azerbaijan. The two
vessels - Turkmenistan's “Gadamly” operating on the route to Baku
and Azerbaijan's “Dostlug” joining the Turkmen fleet - illustrate
the growing practical dimension of bilateral maritime cooperation.
At the broader transport level, the countries have also supported
the development of East-West and Caspian-Black Sea routes, seeking
to strengthen their roles in connecting Central Asia with
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and European markets.
