Kazakhstan backs Azerbaijan’s role as main participant in regional transport networks

Speaking to Kun.uz following the summit in Tashkent, Zhumangarin said Azerbaijan is already deeply engaged with Central Asian states through cooperation frameworks such as the CIS and the Organization of Turkic States. Over the past eight years, the Azerbaijani president has visited Central Asia more than ten times, signaling the country’s growing diplomatic presence.

Azerbaijan participated in the consultative summits for three consecutive years before becoming a full-fledged member starting in 2025 – a step Zhumangarin called “significant.”

According to Zhumangarin, Azerbaijan’s economic dynamism and longstanding ties with Central Asia strengthen its strategic importance.

“Azerbaijan is one of the fastest-developing countries. We are connected by centuries-old brotherhood, good neighborliness, and mutual support. Today, Azerbaijan is the main participant in the East–West trade and logistics corridor,” he said.

He added that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are currently exploring various forms of cooperation in trade and logistics, including the possibility of opening a new transport corridor — an initiative raised during the summit by the region’s presidents.

“In this regard, I believe today was a historic event,” Zhumangarin said.

During the summit, Central Asian presidents signed a separate document formalizing Azerbaijan’s new status within the regional format. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Central Asia and Azerbaijan already function as a single geopolitical and geo-economic space.