A meeting was held at the Scientific Center for Strategic Studies of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan between the institute’s experts and researchers and Yasmine Gouédard, a French diplomat, ambassador, Knight of the Legion of Honour, and Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Intelligence College in Europe based in Paris.

The prominent French politician and diplomat arrived in Ashgabat on a familiarization visit, during which she is scheduled to visit the International University for the Humanities and Development, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, the “Ancient Nisa” State Historical and Cultural Reserve, and the State Museum of the State Cultural Center. Meetings and discussions are also planned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan.

The meeting and discussion between the experienced European diplomat and the experts and scholars of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan were open, informative, and business-oriented. This was hardly surprising, as Mrs. Gouédard is an excellent expert in world classical literature, a specialist in law and political science, and has many years of diplomatic experience in Vietnam, India, China, and Tajikistan.

The topics discussed during the meeting mainly concerned issues related to the Central Asian region. This is understandable, as the new integration platforms emerging in Central Asia, especially transport and logistics initiatives and cross-border economic projects related to energy resources, are currently attracting significant interest and are at the center of attention for many leading analysts and experts in Europe and the European Union.

Ambassador Shiri Akoylievich Shiriev, Director of the Scientific Center for Strategic Studies of the country’s foreign affairs university, answered Mrs. Gouédard’s questions and spoke about the work of the Center. Leading staff members of the Center, including B. Amansaryev, A. Niyazov, and O. Annabayev, also took part in the discussion.