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.
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