The visit also took on symbolic importance as the two leaders travelled to the liberated cities of Shusha and Fuzuli, areas Azerbaijan regained after decades of occupation.
In Shusha, Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serdar Berdimuhamedov also visited the city’s first newly built residential complex, a key project in its post-liberation redevelopment. The complex, constructed on nearly eight hectares, includes 23 buildings and 450 apartments of varying sizes.
Officials said the housing has been allocated to former internally displaced persons returning after years of displacement, as well as to public sector workers, highlighting efforts to restore normal life in the city. Landscaping, green spaces and modern amenities have been incorporated as part of the broader reconstruction plan.
In nearby Fuzuli, the leaders were shown sites devastated during the period of occupation, with Azerbaijani officials outlining large-scale reconstruction efforts underway following its liberation. Plans include transforming the city into a modern “Smart City” capable of housing up to 50,000 residents, alongside infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening its role as a regional transport and logistics hub.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev plays host to Turkmenistan’s President Sardar Berdimuhamedov on a three-day visit to Baku, in what both sides described as a demonstration of strengthening “brotherly relations” between the two Caspian nations.
A guard of honour was lined up for President Berdimuhamedov at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, decorated with the flags of both nations. He was welcomed by Azerbaijan's First Deputy Prime Minister, Yagub Eyyubov, Deputy Foreign Minister Samir Sharifov and other officials, before holding talks with President Ilham Aliyev.
The two presidents signed a joint statement, and ministers also signed 12 agreements intended to deepen ties across economic, social, energy, transport and diplomatic fields. Specifically:
This latest visit builds on a period of intensifying contact between Baku and Ashgabat. In July last year, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Serdar's father, who stepped down as president in 2022 but retained influence as Chairman of Turkmenistan's Halk Maslahaty, or People's Council, travelled to Baku for a three-day visit described by both governments as a display of "brotherly relations".
That trip, which followed an earlier visit by Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, centred on energy cooperation and saw the elder Berdimuhamedov lay wreaths at the graves of former president Heydar Aliyev and his wife, gestures widely read as symbolic of the continuity between the two countries' family-led leaderships.
Energy has long been the backbone of the relationship. In 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan signed a memorandum to jointly develop the Dostluk field in the Caspian Sea, known previously as Kepez to Baku and Sardar to Ashgabat. The field is estimated to hold around 30 billion cubic metres of gas and 50 to 100 million barrels of oil.
The field's name, meaning "friendship" in both Azeri and Turkmen, has since become shorthand for the wider partnership; Sardar's visit included an online ceremony marking the presentation of a tanker named "Dostlug".
The Dostluk field has also been floated as a potential foundation for the long-discussed Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline, which would allow Turkmen gas to reach Europe via Azerbaijan, offering an alternative to Russian supplies.
Progress on the pipeline has historically been stalled because of maritime boundary issues, though European efforts to diversify away from Russian energy since 2022 have strengthened interest in the project.
Trade links are also expanding. Increased traffic along the Middle Corridor, which connects China and Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus, has encouraged greater use of the route between the ports of Baku and Turkmenbashi, helping both countries diversify their economies beyond hydrocarbons.
Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant may continue operating at reduced capacity until Tuesday, temporarily easing pressure on the country’s electric...
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said Tehran is not currently involved in direct talks with Washington about reopening the St...
Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, after years of ...
A tourist aircraft crashed near Peru's UNESCO-listed Nazca Lines on Saturday (1 August), killing all 13 people on board, authorities said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Saturday he would hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal could be reached quickly to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said Tehran is not currently involved in direct talks with Washington about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were to begin on Monday.
Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, killing two crew members as emergency services continued efforts to contain fires fuelled by extreme heat and dry conditions across Europe.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said wildfires that swept across France were now under control. Authorities warned that risks remained as Greece and Spain continued battling active blazes across parts of Europe.
Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan has appointed Nikol Pashinyan as prime minister on Sunday by decree after the previous government resigned following the first session of the newly elected National Assembly.
The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan’s worsening humanitarian and economic crises are leaving more people vulnerable to human trafficking, with returnees, women, children and indebted families facing the greatest risks.
Apple Pay has launched in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, expanding digital payment services across Central Asia and supporting the region's shift towards cashless transactions.
UNESCO has granted World Heritage status to 10 landmarks of Tashkent's modernist architecture, recognising the buildings that helped redefine Uzbekistan's capital after the devastating 1966 earthquake.
Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza for a second straight day on Sunday, killing at least four Palestinians, despite U.S. President Donald Trump announcing a breakthrough in efforts to implement last year's Gaza ceasefire agreement.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment