Central Asian leaders and Azerbaijan to hold first formal summit in Avaza on October 8
Six heads of state will meet at Turkmenistan's Caspian resort of Avaza — the first formal summit since Azerbaijan became a full member of the format in November 2025.
A consultative meeting of the leaders of Central Asia and Azerbaijan will take place on October 8, 2026, at the Avaza National Tourist Zone on Turkmenistan's Caspian coast. The meeting will be hosted by Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
Who is attending
The summit will bring together President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. It is the first formal consultative summit since Azerbaijan joined the format as a full member at the Tashkent summit in November 2025.
The agenda
The October 8 agenda covers climate change, water resources, trade, energy, transport and regional security. The six leaders met once before in the new configuration — informally on July 31 in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan — where they signed a declaration on deepening cooperation in transport, energy, trade and security.
Azerbaijan's new status
At the Cholpon-Ata meeting, President Ilham Aliyev underlined his changed status: "I previously participated as a guest of honour, but today I am taking part as a full member of the team." The Avaza summit signals that regional cooperation is becoming a regular format.
