On the 17th of February, a press briefing was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, which summed up the results of large-scale cooperation with the European Union over the past year and outlined key benchmarks for 2026.
EU Ambassador to Turkmenistan Beate Pexa emphasised that the partnership has reached a new level, covering both strategic infrastructure projects and humanitarian initiatives.
As the diplomat stated, the past year has been a period of intensive dialogue and practical implementation of agreements.
Among the most significant events, B.Pexa highlighted transport and logistics, where special attention was paid to the «Global Gateway» format, in October, the parties discussed in detail the roadmap for the formation of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor, regional security, and consultations on stability in Central Asia were held in Brussels, with an emphasis on the situation in Afghanistan, the environment and civil society in this agenda, the joint work touched upon adaptation to climate change, environmental protection and energy efficiency improvement.
The EU Ambassador also emphasised that Turkmenistan was very actively involved in regional and national thematic projects in a wide range of areas.
«If we take the total equivalent, 547 different joint projects funded by the EU were implemented last year. More than 29 thousand Turkmen citizens of different ages took part in them», − B.Pexa summed up.
Turning to the plans, the speaker noted that the main vector of this year will be the strengthening of economic ties and support for the private sector.
B.Pexa announced a large-scale event that should become a catalyst for business activity.
«I would like to draw attention to a major event planned in the near future. This is the first joint «The European Union – Turkmenistan» business forum, which is scheduled for the 26th of March. We invite representatives of the Turkmen business to take an active part in it. Registration is open until the 23rd of February. On the part of the European Union, a lot of internationally renowned companies representing the trade sector, the industrial industry, the IT sector and education have expressed their desire to participate», − the Ambassador said.
The head of the European Diplomatic Mission also informed that in addition to economic and business areas, Turkmenistan and the European Union will continue to work on cybersecurity, infrastructure development and attracting foreign investment.
At the end of her speech, the EU Ambassador expressed deep gratitude to the National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov for their personal support of relevant initiatives and constructive contribution to the global agenda. In this context, B.Pexa concluded that the dynamics of bilateral visits and willingness to openly discuss complex challenges confirm the status of Turkmenistan as an important strategic partner of Europe in the region.
