On August 9, at the invitation of the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, arrived in Astana to attend the meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, President Aliyev emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation between the countries in defense and security in response to growing global threats and challenges. He particularly highlighted the international operational-tactical command-staff exercises "Birlestik-2024," held in Kazakhstan last month, in which Azerbaijan also participated. He noted that training cadets from Central Asian countries in Azerbaijan's military educational institutions further demonstrates the development of relations in this area.

President Aliyev also expressed Azerbaijan's interest in close cooperation with Central Asian countries in renewable energy. He pointed to the "Memorandum of Cooperation on Interconnection of Energy Systems of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan," signed in May, as an initial step toward collaboration in green energy.

Another key area of cooperation discussed was transportation and transit. President Aliyev mentioned the expansion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway's throughput capacity from 1 million to 5 million tons, as well as the increase in the Alat International Trade Seaport's annual capacity from 15 million to 25 million tons. He also noted the orders for new vessels for Azerbaijan's commercial fleet on the Caspian Sea and the infrastructure projects being carried out by the Central Asian countries, further enhancing the Middle Corridor's practical significance.

Aliyev highlighted the ongoing investment projects with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan and noted that joint investment funds have already been established between Azerbaijan and these countries.

The President also discussed the Digital Silk Road project, which aims to contribute to the development of digital infrastructure and digital security.

Finally, President Aliyev underscored the successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Central Asian countries within international organizations, specifically mentioning the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA). He highlighted the importance of the outcomes of the SPECA Summit held in Baku last November to further develop practical cooperation. He also thanked the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan for participating in the Baku summit.