Turkmenistan, EU Discuss Trade, Transport, And Diplomatic Cooperation

2026-01-21 05:06:35

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, January 21. Turkmenistan and the European Union (EU) discussed the current state and prospects for developing bilateral cooperation in trade and economic sectors, particularly in the energy and transport, Trend reports via the Turkmen MFA.

The issues were discussed on January 21, during a meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, and the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Eduards Stiprais, who arrived in Ashgabat to participate in events as part of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Week.

The sides expressed interest in expanding the political-diplomatic dialogue and the legal framework of cooperation, as well as the development of cultural and humanitarian cooperation. In this context, the parties discussed organizing high-level meetings and visits during the current year.

In addition, they exchanged views on current and planned projects and programs at the regional level, involving Central Asian countries.

Earlier, in October 2025, on the sidelines of the Global Gateway 2025 Forum in Brussels, Turkmenistan's Minister of Finance and Economy, Mammetguly Astanagulov, met with European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Sikela, and discussed preparations for the upcoming first-ever EU-Turkmenistan Business Forum, which is planned for next year, and invited Commissioner Sikela to personally participate in the event.

SPECA is a UN initiative launched in 1998 to boost regional cooperation and integrate Central Asian nations into the global economy, focusing on sustainable development in areas like water, energy, transport, trade, and digital transformation, providing a platform for these landlocked countries to tackle shared challenges like economic diversification and connectivity. Supported jointly by UNECE and ESCAP, its members include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

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