State Leader Convenes Discussion with Turkmenistan's President
In August 2025, Presidents Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan met in Turkmenistan during the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries. The meeting marked a significant step forward in the bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in the trade, energy, and transit-transport sectors.
During the meeting, both Presidents discussed and expressed satisfaction with the dynamic nature of bilateral trade and cooperation in energy and transport. They noted the great potential for expanding cooperation, with a focus on strengthening peace, stability, and developing sustainable energy and transport systems. The discussion also covered improving the use of water resources and addressing climate change, which are crucial in regional cooperation.
Regarding energy, Turkmenistan is actively pursuing a multi-vector gas diplomacy strategy in 2024–2025, seeking to diversify export routes and partners beyond overreliance on a single market such as China. This includes developing pipeline connections through Türkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, and possibly Iraq, enhancing its role as a regional energy hub. This flexible approach complements cooperation with Kazakhstan as part of broader regional transit and energy infrastructure dynamics.
Kazakhstan, with its historical role in hosting the first UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries and promoting regional connectivity, continues to push for increased cooperation to overcome challenges faced by landlocked countries such as itself. President Tokayev emphasized enhancing international partnerships and regional infrastructure links, which aligns with Turkmenistan’s openness to developing transit and communication corridors.
The cooperation between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan is characterized by high-level political engagement and goodwill, emphasis on expanding trade turnover and transport-communication linkages, joint commitment to developing sustainable and diversified energy strategies, and recognition of their cooperation as part of broader regional stability and economic integration efforts.
The Presidents reaffirmed their commitment to the comprehensive development of the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The meeting was facilitated by the press service of Akorda, and was reported by various news sites. President Tokayev also emphasized the importance of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries as a platform for developing practical solutions to the issues facing landlocked developing countries.
This development marks a positive and forward-looking phase in Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan bilateral relations in trade, energy, and transit-transport cooperation as of mid-2025.
- The discussion during the meeting between Presidents Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the potential for enhancing cooperation, particularly in strengthening peace, stability, and developing sustainable energy and transport systems, as part of their policy-and-legislation and politics agendas.
- As the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries progresses, President Tokayev underscores the importance of this war-and-conflicts and general-news event as a platform for formulating practical solutions, aligning with Kazakhstan's role in promoting regional connectivity and addressing challenges faced by landlocked countries.
