Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian proposed a new “Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) + Iran” format in his first appearance as a special guest at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Turkmenistan, pitching Iran as Central Asia's natural route to open waters.

Pezeshkian said Iran's southern ports, notably Chabahar, could link the region to South Asia, Africa and Europe. According to Mehr News Agency, Pezeshkian said regional diplomacy should not be limited merely to holding meetings and must serve as a genuine tool for crisis management, dialogue, preventing escalation and practical cooperation.