Ashgabat hosted the 9th meeting of the Turkmenistan-European Union Joint Committee

The priority fields and prospects of co-operation between Turkmenistan the European Union member countries were a focus of the 9th meeting of the Turkmenistan-European Union Joint Committee.

The representative delegation of the European Commission and the heads of the diplomatic missions of the EU member states accredited to Turkmenistan participated in the meeting. Turkmenistan was represented the governmental delegation consisting of the high-ranking officials and specialists of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy and Development, the Ministry of Oil and Gas and Mineral Resources, the Ministry Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, the Ministry of Motor Transport, the Ministry of Energy and Industry, the Ministry of Education, the Supreme Chamber of Inspection.

Greeting the participants Vice Premier H. Geldimyradov noted with satisfaction that co-operation established over the years had been brought up to a higher level that was evidenced by the intensified exchange of visits and top level meeting as well, the opening of the House of Europe in Ashgabat and completion of the joint projects.

Thanking the Turkmen partners for the heartfelt welcome and hospitality Head of Southern Caucasus and Central Asia Unit of the EC External Relations Directorate-General Victor Maldonado stressed that developing co-operation with Turkmenistan occupying the key positions in the Central Asia region ranked among the priority trends of the EU regional strategy. In this regard Mr. Victor Maldonado expressed belief that the present meeting demonstrating the mutual interest and readiness for full-scale co-operation would be an important step towards enhancing an expanding traditional partnership.

Those speaking noted that Turkmenistan’s transparency and readiness for establishing the mutually beneficial dialogue along with the favourable investment climate, reliable legal framework and firm state guarantees attracted more and more foreign investors to the country. During the meeting the Turkmen partners presented the detailed review on the large-scale reforms initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and social and economic development of Turkmenistan successfully integrating into the global economic system.

Trade and investments, transport and communications, environment protection, education and the other fields in which concerting efforts deemed very promising were specified as the priority fields of further collaboration. The issues under discussion included the aspects of expanding co-operation in facing the global threats including border management and drug trafficking control.

Co-operation in the fuel and energy sector was a focus of the talks. Turkmenistan and the European Union secured the reciprocal interest in fostering co-operation in this field in the Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Co-operation signed during the visit of EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs to Ashgabat this May.

The European community’s interest in partnership in this strategic field was conditioned to a larger extent by the position of the Turkmen state that endeavoured to place its profound energy potential at the service of the whole mankind. In particular, Europe ardently welcomed the idea of creating the multivariant system for Turkmen energy export to the world markets. It was not occasional that more and more European countries showed intense interest in importing energy resources from Turkmenistan that they regarded as a dependable and responsible partner.

The EU officials highly appreciated the meeting on human rights issues held recently at the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan. It was stated that the EU encouraged Turkmenistan’s active efforts aimed at strengthening the supremacy of law and was ready to provide overall support to the legal reforms in Turkmenistan.

Noting the special significance of the Ashgabat meeting the participants stated the necessity of implementing the new joint programmes and projects and called for conducting the regular joint meetings and talks to form an effective model of co-operation meeting the realities of the modern times and the spirit of mutually advantageous and equal partnership.