The countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan could expand industrial cooperation and establish joint export-oriented complexes in the agro-industrial sector. The President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, put forward this initiative on 8 October at the eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the ‘Awaza’ National Tourist Zone, according to the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’.

The Head of State proposed utilising the region’s climatic and geographical advantages to implement joint projects in agriculture and the processing industry. This involves establishing large-scale enterprises producing goods that are competitive in terms of both price and quality for the global market.

To promote trade, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov called for the removal of transport, customs and tariff barriers. He also proposed the introduction of more flexible mechanisms for cooperation and electronic management systems.