At their 24th Joint Committee meeting in Ashgabat on Friday 7 November, the EU and Turkmenistan emphasised “the benefits of expanding economic cooperation”, ahead of the EU-Central Asia Economic Forum to be held in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) on 26 November, according to the press release from the European External Action Service (EEAS).
In particular, the EU underscored its regional approach to connectivity and discussed the latest developments concerning the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, in preparation for the second edition of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and Connectivity Investors Forum to be held the following day on 27 November.
The two parties also reviewed current cooperation programmes, such as the regional Global Gateway Flagship Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy and Climate Change.
The EU then reiterated its support for Turkmenistan’s accession to the WTO, but also expressed its concern about the overall human rights situation in the country. The EU also condemned Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and called on Turkmenistan to “ continue to uphold a steadfast stand supporting international law and the principles of the UN Charter”. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)