President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave a speech in Tashkent on 16 November at the 7th Consultative Meeting of Central Asian leaders, where regional heads of state gathered to discuss cooperation and Azerbaijan’s expanding role in the format.
President Ilham Aliyev paid tribute to Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, thanking him for the invitation and what he described as the country’s traditional hospitality. He praised Uzbekistan’s development in recent years—its economic reforms, major infrastructure projects and rising international standing—which, he said, had positioned the country as a regional leader and a growing sporting power. President Ilham Aliyev described President Mirziyoyev as a “wise statesman” whose efforts had strengthened ties between the two countries and helped reinforce the case for closer cooperation between Azerbaijan and the nations of Central Asia.
Referring to the leaders’ visit to the newly inaugurated Centre of Islamic Civilisation in Tashkent, President Ilham Aliyev said the institution reflected Uzbekistan’s commitment to safeguarding its cultural heritage at a time of rising global Islamophobia. He suggested the centre would stand as a significant contribution to the wider Islamic world. Turning to Azerbaijan’s regional engagement, he recalled previous invitations to summits in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan and described relations with Central Asian states as rooted in shared history, cultural affinity and longstanding friendship. He underlined the scale of diplomatic exchanges and agreements in recent years, which he said had elevated cooperation to the level of a strategic partnership and effectively created a single geopolitical and geo-economic space linking the South Caucasus with Central Asia.
President Ilham Aliyev also highlighted the support offered by regional partners for reconstruction work in Azerbaijan’s recently reclaimed territories. Schools and cultural centres funded by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have already opened in Fuzuli and Aghdam, and a new mosque project backed by Turkmenistan is now under way. He described these initiatives as enduring expressions of regional solidarity. Looking to future connectivity, he pointed to the rapid expansion of the Middle Corridor, with transit through Azerbaijan rising by 90% in three years. Major upgrades to the Alat International Port, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway and aviation infrastructure, along with upcoming links to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and new digital and energy projects across the Caspian, were presented as key elements in strengthening the region’s transport and communications architecture.
In closing, President Ilham Aliyev welcomed the decision to admit Azerbaijan as a full participant in the Central Asia cooperation format, calling it further evidence of the “friendly and fraternal” nature of regional ties. Delegates also heard a letter from UN Secretary-General António Guterres before signing a resolution formalising Azerbaijan’s membership alongside several other documents.
Türkiye’s COP31 presidency has unveiled an action agenda designed to turn climate commitments into concrete projects and measurable resu...
G7 foreign ministers called on Iran to end its arming and support of Houthis in Yemen, which they said constituted...
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 22 September 2026. These are five key bilateral and multilateral meetings taking place on the sidelines of ...
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes military action against Tehran.
Overnight Russian strikes on the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, have killed one woman and injured a man, the country's State Emergency Service has said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
Russian parliamentary elections have delivered a comfortable win to the ruling United Russia party, which is closely aligned to President Vladimir Putin. With more than 95 per cent of ballots counted, United Russia has taken 57.83 per cent of the vote, up from the 49.8 per cent it won in 2021.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in state elections in northeastern Germany on Sunday, voting projections showed, delivering the worst result for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's mainstream conservative party since 1949.
G7 foreign ministers called on Iran to end its arming and support of Houthis in Yemen, which they said constituted a dangerous pattern of escalation that risked undermining international trade and creating global instability.
A drone attack that forced Saudi Arabia to shut its East-West Pipeline on 13 September exposed how much the Kingdom still depends on the Strait of Hormuz, even with a major alternative route in place.
Nearly 130,000 people have been forced from their homes in Yemen in recent weeks as fighting intensifies along the country’s west coast, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Iranian judicial authorities have shut a French language centre in Tehran linked to the French Embassy, accusing it of “illegal activities”, including operating without a licence and facilitating the departure of talented Iranians.
Ankara and Washington are considering “creative ideas” to resolve U.S. sanctions imposed over Türkiye’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air-defence system, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment