Executive summary:
- The October 8 Avaza summit was the first Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia with Azerbaijan as a full member, confirming Baku’s regional role and naming it the 2027 chair.
- Leaders moved the six-country format toward economic coordination, proposing joint production chains, a faster launch of the Council for Infrastructure Development, a shared e-commerce platform, an artificial intelligence partnership, and a regional green transition strategy.
- Middle Corridor transit rose nearly 20 percent this year, amid proposals to link the People’s Republic of China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway to the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line and the corridor to the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.
On October 8, the leaders of the five Central Asian states and Azerbaijan gathered in Avaza, Turkmenistan, for the eighth Consultative Meeting. Following the unanimous decision to include Baku in November 2025, the summit was the first formal Consultative Meeting with Azerbaijan as a full-fledged participant. The meeting concluded with the decision that Azerbaijan would chair the Consultative Meeting in 2027. The leaders also signed two documents—the Joint Statement and the Decision on the Regulatory Documents of the Consultative Meeting (Trend News Agency; President of Azerbaijan, October 8). The results not only reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s position in the regional architecture, but also showed that the six-country format, increasingly referred to as C6, is acquiring a more practical and institutional dimension.
The Consultative Meetings were initiated in 2018 to encourage political dialogue and confidence-building and now are becoming more focused on the coordination of regional economic initiatives (see EDM, January 21). The Avaza meeting reflected this shift by proposing joint production chains and closer industrial cooperation. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the importance of Azerbaijan’s joint investment funds with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, urging their greater use to “implement joint projects, establish new manufacturing facilities, and expand industrial cooperation” (President of Azerbaijan, October 8). Azerbaijan’s accession brought these expanding bilateral ties into a shared regional framework, creating opportunities for closer coordination on investment, transport, and energy projects.
This gradual approach to institutionalization was evident in the positions expressed at Avaza. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for further development of the legal framework that governs the Consultative Meetings, while also emphasizing that the countries did not seek cumbersome institutions. His proposals centered on the practical coordination of infrastructure, investment, industrial cooperation, and new technologies (President of Uzbekistan, October 8). Presenting the “Six Economies – One Product” formula, he explained that joint production chains would create economic ties “far stronger and more sustainable than ordinary commodity exchange” (President of Azerbaijan, October 8). To facilitate this collaboration, he suggested holding a Central Asia–Azerbaijan Business Forum in Khiva, Uzbekistan in 2027 (President of Uzbekistan, October 8).
The economic agenda reflects the evolving relationship between Azerbaijan and Central Asia. During the summit, Aliyev stated, “Last year, Azerbaijan’s trade with Central Asian countries increased by more than 50 percent.” He added that “over 400 companies with capital from Central Asian countries are actively operating in our country” (President of Azerbaijan, October 8). These growing economic ties provide the expanded consultative format with a more robust practical foundation.
Connectivity is another important pillar of C6 cooperation, with the Middle Corridor linking Central Asia to international markets through Azerbaijan. The Joint Statement identified the development of integrated regional transport infrastructure, including the East–West and North–South corridors, as a priority for sustainable economic growth and stronger interregional ties (APA, October 8). Speaking at Avaza, Aliyev declared, “The Middle Corridor is gaining ever greater importance,” pointing out that transit cargo volumes along the route rose by nearly 20 percent in the first eight months of 2026 and by more than 10 percent in 2025 (President of Azerbaijan, October 8). Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also proposed expert discussions on integrating the Middle Corridor with the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), arguing that this would “expand its existing potential and serve the long-term interests of all our countries” (President of Kazakhstan, October 8). Coordinated infrastructure development, dependable Caspian shipping services, streamlined border processes, and more consistent transit times will all be necessary to sustain this growth.
Mirziyoyev called for accelerating the establishment of the Council for Infrastructure Development and for holding its inaugural meeting in Uzbekistan. He emphasized, “New transport corridors should be accompanied by production facilities, logistics and service centers, and industrial zones. In this way, a transport route creates an economy around itself and brings much greater benefits to every country through which it passes” (President of Uzbekistan, October 8).
The council could coordinate projects currently developed mainly through bilateral agreements and smaller multilateral partnerships. The proposed integration of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan (CKU) railway with the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line illustrates the potential for a more interconnected transport network linking Central Asia and the South Caucasus through Azerbaijan (see EDM, July 15). Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov also emphasized the CKU railway’s potential to connect regional economies with international transport and production networks. “Our benchmark should be measurable results, lower delivery costs and reduced travel times,” he stated, stressing that all countries should benefit from regional transport projects (Kyrgyz National News Agency, October 8). The coordination of investment priorities, infrastructure capacity, and logistics procedures is essential, as these projects are currently in varying stages of development.
Another emerging dimension of C6 connectivity is energy cooperation. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan are advancing the Central Asia–Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor, which aims to transmit renewable electricity across the Caspian Sea to regional and European markets. Although developed outside the C6 mechanism, the project illustrates the potential for smaller partnerships to advance the wider cooperation agenda. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Asian Development Bank have provided support for the project’s advancement to the feasibility-study stage (Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy, March 4). Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov announced in September that the feasibility study is expected to be finalized by May 2027, with commissioning planned from 2032 (APA, September 25).
Other leaders also proposed practical initiatives. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon suggested a regional strategy for the green transition and a large oil refinery to meet regional demand (Turkmenistan’s State News Agency, October 8). Japarov suggested establishing a shared e-commerce platform for Central Asia and Azerbaijan to enhance market access for regional producers (President of Azerbaijan, October 8). Tokayev proposed a Central Asian partnership program on artificial intelligence and called for a joint action plan to increase intraregional trade to at least $20 billion (President of Kazakhstan, October 8). These proposals demonstrate the expansion of C6 cooperation to encompass industrial development, digital markets, and shared approaches to new technologies.
Azerbaijan’s 2027 chairmanship will provide an opportunity to transform the Avaza proposals into coordinated projects and to clarify the practical role of the six-country format. Baku’s transport, energy, and investment connections to Central Asia establish a robust foundation for advancing this agenda. The expanded format may also encourage external partners to collaborate with the six countries as cooperation intensifies. This could eventually facilitate the establishment of a C6+1 arrangement that more accurately reflects the expanding connections between Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
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