On January 24, 2023, in Tashkent, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov participated in the 26th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CMFA) of the member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
The event was attended by the heads of the foreign ministries of the Member States, heads of regional organizations, as well as specialized agencies, regional institutions and affiliated bodies of the ECO.
The meeting participants discussed a wide range of issues of enhancing regional cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, green economy, digitalization, energy, food security, ecology, agriculture and transport. Also, proposals were considered for the further development of trade and economic ties, the search for new ways of economic growth in the ECO space.
During the meeting, the Council approved the Work Program and the Calendar of Events of the ECO for 2023, reports on the activities of the Secretariat and specialized bodies of the ECO were adopted, recommendations were developed on the project activities of the Organization, the budget for 2023 was approved, and the results of the chairmanship of Uzbekistan in the ECO were summed up.
In his speech, R. Meredov stressed that the concept documents "Vision for ECO until 2025" and "Ashgabat Consensus of Action" became a solid platform for the Organization to adapt to new realities, gave clear guidelines for joint activities for the foreseeable future. In this regard, he presented the country's position on priority areas of cooperation within the framework of the ECO, and also put forward proposals from Turkmenistan on the further development strategy of the ECO.
In particular, the importance of accelerated development of transport and logistics, deepening partnerships in the energy sector, expanding industrial cooperation by creating production lines aimed at creating "integration corridors", using the potential of cross-border and regional trade, with an emphasis on enhancing cooperation in the area of small and medium-sized businesses, joining efforts to ensure food security, connecting the ECO to the efforts of the international community to develop constructive models of interstate relations through preventive diplomacy.
As a result of the Ministerial Council, the Tashkent Communiqué was adopted.
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On the same day, in frames of the participation in the meeting of the ECO Ministerial Council, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan was received by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
R.Meredov conveyed to the President of Uzbekistan warm greetings and good wishes from the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty, Leader of the Nation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
At the meeting, issues of the practical implementation of the agreements at the highest level, reached during the state visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan and the official visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Turkmenistan, held in 2022, were discussed.
The forms of further deepening of the Turkmen-Uzbek relations of strategic partnership, building up cooperation in the trade and economic sphere, industrial cooperation, transport and logistics, fuel and energy sector, enhancing interregional contacts and cultural and humanitarian exchange were considered.
Attention was paid to the schedule of upcoming meetings and events.
There was also an exchange of views on topical issues of the regional and international agenda.
