CIS governments meeting in Ashgabat have endorsed a regional transport integration plan and advanced proposals to modernise heavy industry, highlighting a growing focus on overland trade routes and economic resilience.
Transport emerged as the clearest priority at the meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States’ Council of Heads of Government, where officials signed a Concept for Integrating Major Transport Arteries across member states. Developed by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the plan aims to create faster, safer and more cost-effective freight routes across the region.
The timing of the agreement is significant. As security concerns and geopolitical tensions continue to reshape global supply chains, governments across Eurasia are placing greater emphasis on land-based logistics corridors linking Asian and European markets. For the CIS, improving transport connectivity is increasingly viewed as both an economic necessity and a strategic opportunity.
Ashgabat was seen as a fitting venue for the discussions. Turkmenistan sits at the intersection of the East–West route and the eastern branch of the International North–South Transport Corridor, placing the country at one of Eurasia’s key transit crossroads. Officials expect stronger transport coordination to improve the region’s appeal to freight operators and investors.
Logistics was only part of the discussions. Leaders also reviewed proposals for the digital transformation of the mining and metallurgical sectors, industries that remain central to many CIS economies.
The talks, attended by prime ministers from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives from Armenia and Turkmenistan and the CIS Secretary-General, covered 12 agenda items in both restricted and expanded formats. Alongside transport and industrial policy, participants discussed tariff regulation, trade barriers, and cooperation in geodesy, cartography and spatial data.
Several decisions reflected broader efforts to deepen regional coordination. Kazakhstan’s Karaganda and the Belarusian capital Minsk were selected as CIS Youth Capitals for 2027 and 2028 respectively, while economic data presented during the meeting pointed to stronger intra-regional trade.
Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with CIS countries reached $38.4 billion in 2025, with trade rising by 17.1% in the first quarter of 2026. Turkmenistan reported a 30% increase in trade with CIS member states to $1.8 billion over the same period, according to Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Khojamyrat Geldimyradov.
The next CIS Council of Heads of Government meeting is scheduled to take place in Moscow in December 2026.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Fore...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know....
As the 2026 World Cup kicked off on 11 June across North America, U.S. visa restrictions and travel policies have made it impossible for supporters, ...
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, ...
European museums are increasingly returning cultural artefacts to countries in Africa and the Middle East, as pressure grows to address the legacy of ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
As the 2026 World Cup kicked off on 11 June across North America, U.S. visa restrictions and travel policies have made it impossible for supporters, football officials and even a FIFA-appointed referee to attend. It's raised a lot of questions about access to such a high-profile global event.
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, since primary school. Their families have rearranged their lives around it.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
Armenia has every right to choose Europe. But Europe’s support for Armenia’s direction should not become automatic approval of its political process.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
Uzbekistan will launch a new digital financial platform from 1 July aimed at simplifying access to finance for entrepreneurs, as part of broader efforts to support small businesses, encourage innovation and accelerate private sector development.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
The global race to develop quantum computing is accelerating, with governments and technology firms investing heavily in what is expected to become a major new computing era.
Japan’s birth rate and fertility levels have fallen to their lowest levels on record, highlighting the country’s worsening demographic crisis as fewer people marry and have children.
Iran said no final decision has been made on a proposed agreement with Washington, despite suggestions from U.S. President Donald Trump that a deal could soon be signed in a European capital.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment