TURKMENBASHI, Turkmenistan, October 9. Azerbaijan is consistently strengthening its position as one of the region’s key transport hubs, ensuring reliable transit along the North-South and East-West international corridors, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed a limited-format meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State, Trend's special correspondent reports.
“In the first half of 2026, the volume of transit cargo through Azerbaijan increased by 10 percent, reaching nearly 8 million tons. Our medium-term goal is to increase cargo transportation through Azerbaijan along the East-West and North-South routes to 15 million tons in each direction,” the head of state emphasized.
The meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is taking place on October 9, 2026, at the Awaza National Tourism Zone on Turkmenistan's Caspian coast, near the city of Turkmenbashi. The meeting is chaired by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
The event coincides with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the CIS and is a key event during Turkmenistan's CIS chairmanship in 2026.
The summit participants are discussing cooperation in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres, reviewing the Commonwealth's work over the past year and setting priorities for the future. The agenda also includes an exchange of views on pressing international and regional issues, as well as consideration of documents aimed at expanding cooperation in law enforcement, cultural and humanitarian affairs, and information, and strengthening foreign policy coordination among CIS countries.
