Six public organizations of Turkmenistan took part in the Civil Society Forum "European Union-Central Asia", which is being held in Almaty (Kazakhstan) in a hybrid format.

It brought together about 300 participants from the European Union and Central Asia - representatives of civil society, the private sector, researchers, and the media. The forum is also attended by the EU Special Representative for Human Rights Aimen Gilmore, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala, as well as the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for International Cooperation Yerzhan Kazykhan.

The EU-Central Asia Civil Society Forum, held since 2019, is a platform for dialogue between civil society representatives. By organizing this event, the EU seeks to enhance the role of civil society in addressing the challenges faced by countries.

The theme of this year's forum is "Building a Better Future: Engaging in Sustainable Recovery from the Pandemic." Its work focuses on the role of civil society in sustainable recovery from the pandemic under the EU Strategy for Central Asia, through the empowerment of youth, which is a key element in building a fair, inclusive and prosperous society. The Forum also aims to increase the understanding of the goals and values of the European team, as well as increase the EU's visibility in the region.

“Civil society has enormous potential, requires investment and trust to make our world a better place together,” said EU Special Representative for Human Rights Aimen Gilmore in his speech.

As highlighted in the EU Strategy for Central Asia, civil societies have an important role to play in strengthening the resilience and prosperity of societies, as well as in regional cooperation. It is important that governments, civil society and the private sector learn to engage in dialogue with each other.

Ayjahan Ataballyeva