On October 9, 2026, the First Caspian Environmental Summit took place in the Awaza National Tourist Zone. The meeting was chaired by the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan reports.

It was attended by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev; the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian; the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Following the meeting, the heads of state adopted a joint decision based on the results of the Caspian Environmental Summit.

As noted, Turkmenistan advocates for the development of cooperation with all interested partners—primarily within the framework of the United Nations—to ensure sustainable development and the protection of the Caspian marine environment. In 2023, on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan presented the "Caspian Environmental Initiative" project, aimed at consolidating efforts to protect the marine environment. Work on its implementation is being carried out both at the national level and in cooperation with partner countries and international organizations.

Turkmenistan also declares its intention to strengthen ties among the Caspian littoral states in the fields of energy, transport and logistics, industry, and trade.

It is worth recalling that Turkmenistan initiated the first Summit of the Heads of Caspian States, held in Ashgabat in 2002. Ideas put forward at that summit formed the basis for documents adopted at subsequent summits.

Furthermore, at the initiative of Turkmenistan, the first Caspian Economic Forum was held on August 12, 2019, in the Awaza National Tourist Zone. The event focused on expanding trade and economic ties among the littoral states and helped identify new avenues for economic partnership in the region.