On May 22, 2010, in the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, a meeting was held with the British delegation headed by the Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Sir Simon McDonald.
During the meeting, representatives of delegations exchanged views on a wide range of issues on the international agenda. Then the sides discussed issues of further intensification of bilateral cooperation between Turkmenistan and Great Britain. The sides informed about the current state and priorities of the domestic and foreign policies of the countries, expressing their commitment to expanding the political-diplomatic, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian cooperation. Speaking about cooperation within the framework of international organizations, the sides noted the interest in continuing cooperation within the framework of the United Nations. In this context, the British side stressed that Turkmenistan is the only country whose neutral status was recognized by the UN twice.
Discussing the issues of trade cooperation, the parties noted the role of the Turkmen- United Kingdom Trade and Industry Council (TUKTIC). Giving positive assessment to the dynamic development of bilateral relations, the parties noted the opportunities for expanding cooperation in a number of areas, such as energy and banking, education and sports. Also, proposals were made to intensify inter-parliamentary cooperation, as well as to develop cooperation in the field of ensuring human rights and freedoms, by sharing experience in this field.
