President Erdogan receives Azerbaijani, Uzbek top diplomats for strategic talks

On January 29, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, who arrived in Ankara to attend the 2nd trilateral meeting of the Foreign, Economy/Trade, and Transport Ministers.

During the meeting, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan officially signed a roadmap designed to expand cooperation in the transport sector. This significant development was announced by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov during a joint press conference with his counterparts from Türkiye and Uzbekistan in Ankara, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Bayramov highlighted that the signing of the roadmap is part of broader efforts to strengthen the countries' transport cooperation. He explained, “Today, we discussed key issues concerning our strategic partnership and alliance. We exchanged views on renewable energy, focusing particularly on the Middle Corridor. We also reviewed the transport potential of the region, covering the Caspian, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, in addition to other regional matters.”

The minister further emphasized the importance of humanitarian efforts, noting, “We also discussed humanitarian aid projects in Afghanistan, which are carried out with the consent of the international community. The significance of the Trans-Afghan railway project was also highlighted.”

The meeting concluded with the signing of the final declaration by the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economy/Trade, and Transport from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who hosted the event, confirmed that the third trilateral meeting will be held in Azerbaijan.

Additionally, Fidan announced that Azerbaijan would host the 12th official summit of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), with an unofficial summit planned in Hungary.

The meeting brought together key officials from the three countries, including foreign ministers and ministers responsible for trade, economy, and transport. The discussions were focused on deepening bilateral and regional cooperation, with special emphasis on enhancing foreign policy coordination, boosting trade and economic ties, and increasing investment opportunities. A major topic of focus was improving regional transport connectivity and advancing collaboration in the transport and communications sectors.

By Tamilla Hasanova