As part of the ministerial meeting Central Asia-EU, held in Luxembourg on October 23, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov held bilateral negotiations with the European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen.
The main focus was on regional initiatives of the Team Europe program. These discussions created the basis for an in-depth dialogue on the possibility of cooperation in the fields of energy and transport. Turkmenistan's progress in the process of joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) was also presented. The head of the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan noted that the Turkmen side highly appreciates the EU’s support in this direction.
J.Urpilainen emphasized the readiness to provide technical assistance, taking into account Turkmenistan’s desire for WTO membership and the reforms being carried out in this regard.
The main discussion during the meeting concerned the energy sector, in particular hydrogen energy, reducing methane emissions and converting natural gas. The Foreign Minister gave examples of joint projects between Turkmenistan and «GIZ» in the field of hydrogen and methane research.
The parties emphasized the need for a systematic approach to energy projects and emphasized the importance of jointly developing an Action Plan for cooperation in this area.
R.Meredov also informed the European Commissioner about the development of a Road Map for 2023-2024, aimed at developing international cooperation and studying the issue of Turkmenistan joining the Global Methane Commitment.
J.Urpilainen noted that the European Union is considering the possibility of concluding an agreement with the GIZ project in the field of green energy, which is aimed at developing initiatives in this area.
In the context of the ongoing work to create a specialized mechanism for coordinating the activities and initiatives of the Team Europe project, the head of the European structure invited Turkmenistan to actively interact with the EU within the framework of this new mechanism.
Opportunities for cooperation in the field of digital communications and water management were also discussed, given the relevance of the latter issue for the region. The EU Commissioner highly appreciated the effectiveness of the Team Europe program in the field of digital integration and confirmed the readiness to intensify cooperation with Turkmenistan in this direction.
During the meeting, J.Urpilainen conveyed an invitation to the Turkmen delegation to the Investor Forum, which will be held in Brussels in January 2024.
