Georgian and Central Asian foreign ministers meet in Batumi to discuss Black Sea–Caspian transit routes

Foreign ministers of Georgia and the five Central Asian states — Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — met in Batumi, Georgia, on 23 October, according to the official website of the Turkmen government.

The talks covered bilateral and multilateral cooperation in politics, trade and the economy, and transport and energy; transit routes linking Central Asia with the Black Sea region, including seaports and railways; and a proposal for a fibre-optic cable along the Caspian–Black Sea route.

The Turkmen side put forward concrete steps for regional cooperation and stressed the need for comprehensive plans to carry them out. It called for closer ties with the International Road Transport Union, the Organisation for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD) and the International Maritime Organization, and for using Georgia's capabilities and strategic projects. The ministers also toured the Batumi seaport. The report mentions no signed documents.