On Monday, 27 January, the European External Action Service (EEAS) shared the content of the joint press conference that the EU delegation to Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat held on 24 January, which was aimed at imparting areas of collaboration for 2025.
Speaking alongside Turkmenistan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Myahri Byashimova, Ambassador of the European Union to Turkmenistan Beata Peksa emphasised the EU’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the country in the coming years by “focusing on shared priorities that align with Turkmenistan’s development goals”.
The partners looked back on what they achieved in 2024, including not only [their progress] in the field of connectivity with the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor but also support for small and medium-sized enterprises and even pilot projects aimed at reducing methane emissions.
In 2025, both parties will continue to support the corridor’s development. European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela is supposed to visit Turkmenistan in March to discuss measures to strengthen cooperation in this area.
The EU will also continue to help the country join the World Trade Organization (WTO); to support efforts to strengthen governance, the fight against corruption, and reforms of the judicial and prisons systems; and to promote human rights (see EUROPE 13540/3).
An EU–Central Asia ministerial meeting will take place in Ashgabat in March, followed by the EU–Central Asia Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in April, which will be attended by Turkmen President Berdimuhamedov. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)