President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov took part in the VII Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia. At the beginning of his speech, he expressed his gratitude to President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the warm welcome and impeccable organisation of the summit, and also congratulated President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on his country's accession to the meeting format as a full member, reports AsmanNews.

Head of Turkmenistan stressed the need to further strengthen political and diplomatic cooperation between the countries of the region, especially within the framework of the UN. He noted that the potential of Central Asia requires the intensification of economic cooperation, primarily in areas such as transport, energy, trade, as well as industrial and technological cooperation.

In his speech, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov focused on the growing role of the region as a key international transport and transit hub. He stressed that the shift of global economic centres towards East and South Asia, as well as the Middle East, increases the importance of Central Asia in logistics chains. The President of Turkmenistan called for the practical promotion of East-West and North-South transport corridor projects, noting that the formation of a sustainable transport and logistics infrastructure is in the long-term interests of all countries in the region.

Touching on the topic of energy, the Head of State declared Turkmenistan's readiness to promote new initiatives in this area that go beyond traditional pipeline projects. He paid particular attention to the need to form a unified network for the production and distribution of electricity, which will ensure the stability of energy supplies and reduce external risks.

Speaking about the environmental agenda, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov drew attention to the need for joint efforts to save the Aral Sea and combat desertification. He supported the idea of establishing specialised UN offices in the region and proposed the formation of coordinated environmental diplomacy.

In the humanitarian sphere, the President of Turkmenistan called for expanded cooperation, noting that during its chairmanship of the Consultative Meeting, Turkmenistan would work to strengthen unity, develop economic cooperation and implement major international projects in the fields of energy, transport and communications.

Concluding his speech, he wished the peoples of Central Asia peace, prosperity and well-being.