Aliyev was granted a horse and access to profitable Uzbek oilfields during a gathering in Turkmenistan.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev recently gathered for a trilateral meeting at the Avaza resort in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. The discussion focused on various aspects of cooperation between the three countries, particularly in the gas sector and the transport sector, which have been identified as priority areas.
According to reports, the Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan gas agreement was also a topic of discussion during the meeting. The Turkmen Foreign Ministry wrote that the three sides agreed to increase their cooperation, with specific plans for geological exploration in the Ustyurt investment blocks in Uzbekistan's autonomous Karakalpakstan region scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026.
Bakhodirjon Sidikov, Chair of the Board of Uzbek gas company Uzbekneftegaz JSC, announced that they had signed a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) between Uzbekistan's Energy Ministry, SOCAR (Azerbaijan's state-run oil company), and Uzbekneftegaz for investment blocks in Uzbekistan's Ustyurt region. Uzbekneftegaz and SOCAR already cooperate in the field of international hydrocarbon trade through a joint trading company established in late 2023.
The persons involved in conducting geological explorations in the Ustyurt investment blocks include representatives from the Uzbek government, local geological agencies, and international energy companies collaborating on the project.
Trade relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have declined sharply in recent years, with the amount accounting for only 0.81% of Azerbaijan's total trade turnover in 2024. However, during the meeting, Aliyev announced the construction of a mosque which will be constructed in Fuzuli as a gift from Turkmenistan.
In the spirit of goodwill, gift exchanges were also a part of the meeting. Berdimuhamedow presented Aliyev with an Akhal-Teke horse named Taus, while Aliyev gifted Mirziyoyev a camel and its young calf. Previously, during Berdimuhemedow's visit to Azerbaijan in July, Aliyev gifted him a Karabakh horse named Dostluq.
Aliyev expressed eagerness for news about the discovery of a large oil field in Uzbekistan, while Berdimuhamedow discussed the 'great potential' for strategic cooperation between the three countries in the gas sector and expressed 'readiness' to discuss these issues further.
In addition, Aliyev discussed the agreement between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan's state-run oil company SOCAR. On a separate note, Aliyev announced an Uzbek-financed sewing factory in Stepanakert (Khankendi).
The meeting concluded with a sense of mutual understanding and a commitment to strengthening the cooperative ties between the three nations. The Ustyurt region, with its significant strife in recent years, may see a new chapter of peace and prosperity as a result of this trilateral meeting.
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