The unconditional priority of cooperation in the Caspian Sea is the economic sphere.  This was stated by the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, speaking at the Sixth Caspian Summit, held the day before in Ashgabat.

 Among the priority areas of economic partnership, the head of state listed transport, logistics, communications, energy, industrial cooperation and much more.

 The President called the creation of a promising, in many respects unique format of partnership – the Caspian Economic Forum – a breakthrough decision.

 Recalling that the first such forum was held in the city of Turkmenbashi in the summer of 2019, Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed that the decisions and agreements adopted then became a meaningful platform for strategic planning of economic activities in the Caspian Sea and outlined its prospects.  First of all, we are talking about transport.

 “I think it would not be an exaggeration to call the Caspian a sea of ​​opportunities as a connecting hub of transport and transit flows in Eurasia along the East-West and North-South lines,” the head of Turkmenistan continued, expressing confidence that such importance of the Caspian would only increase in the future.

 In this regard, the President noted that the Caspian countries “have to seriously work on the construction and modernization of port infrastructure, building sustainable, reliable and efficient logistics schemes to turn the Caspian region into a comfortable, modern, profitable space for international flows of goods and services.  And I would like to emphasize especially – free from political conjuncture”.

 As Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized: «It is necessary to look into the future responsibly and far-sightedly: against the backdrop of all the current difficulties and contradictions in global politics, the Caspian countries need to maintain unity in understanding common goals, common destiny and destiny».

In this regard, the head of state expressed satisfaction with the entry into force of the intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in the field of transport in the Caspian Sea.

 The President of Turkmenistan also expressed his conviction that «international business, financial institutions are attentive and interested in the Caspian region, understand its potential and geo-economic value».

 Providing good conditions for entrepreneurship, freeing it from unnecessary, often outdated barriers, making the Caspian an attractive place for serious and long-term investments – we have every opportunity for this, Serdar Berdimuhamedov said.

In general, speaking about the transport significance of the Caspian Sea, the head of Turkmenistan stressed that «we can rightfully set an ambitious, but realistic goal of turning it into an integral part of the revival of the Great Silk Road».