Turkmenistan, Philippines Discuss Launching Central Asia-ASEAN Dialogue

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 1. Turkmenistan and the Philippines discussed prospects for launching a“Central Asia-ASEAN” dialogue format, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen government.

The discussions took place during a meeting between Turkmenistan's Ambassador to the Philippines Atadurdy Bayramov and Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano in Tokyo, Japan.

During the talks, the sides discussed a broad range of bilateral issues, including high-level visits, strengthening the legal framework, and expanding cooperation in political, economic, and cultural spheres.

Particular attention was paid to energy security and interaction within multilateral platforms.

In view of the Philippines' upcoming ASEAN chairmanship in 2026, the parties agreed to work jointly on advancing Turkmenistan's initiative to establish a new“Central Asia-ASEAN” dialogue format.

The sides also agreed to prepare concrete proposals for the implementation of this regional cooperation mechanism.

The Central Asia-ASEAN dialogue format is a new framework aimed at enhancing cooperation between the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and the ten ASEAN member states. Its purpose is to create a structural "C5+ASEAN" approach that goes beyond individual bilateral meetings, focusing on regional connectivity, trade, and economic partnerships.

The strategic goal includes addressing shared challenges and diversifying trade while countering great-power rivalry. This initiative aligns with Central Asia's strategy of engaging major stakeholders and emphasizes strengthening economic ties, technology transfer, and infrastructure development for sustainable growth.

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