Transport connectivity and the development of transit corridors were among the key themes of the address delivered by the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, at the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS on 9 October. This was reported by the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’.

The Head of State proposed declaring 2029 the ‘Year of CIS Transport Connectivity’. The initiative aims to strengthen cooperation among the Commonwealth countries and make fuller use of their infrastructure potential.

Serdar Berdimuhamedov also highlighted the significance of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport for 2026–2035, initiated by Turkmenistan and proclaimed by a resolution of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

Turkmenistan looks forward to the active participation of the CIS countries in implementing the objectives of the Decade and stands ready to facilitate consultations and the development of joint practical proposals within the framework of the Commonwealth and the UN. The legal framework for cooperation is supplemented by the UN General Assembly resolution ‘Cooperation between the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Independent States’ of 26 August 2025.

‘Overall, Turkmenistan intends to promote the consolidation of efforts by CIS countries to develop international cooperation in the creation of transport and transit corridors, enhance their sustainability and ensure accessibility for all countries, including landlocked CIS states,’ stated the President of Turkmenistan.

Among the international foundations for this work, the Head of State cited the outcomes of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, held in August 2025 in Turkmenbashi, and the Awaza Political Declaration adopted following the conference, which was unanimously endorsed by the UN General Assembly.