Productive Meetings with Foreign Partners

Yesterday, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan with a delegation led by Edvardas Bumsteinas, Head of the Asia, Central Asia, and Pacific Department of the European Investment Bank (EIB), who arrived in Ashgabat on a working visit.

During the meeting, it was noted that Turkmenistan’s economic development strategy prioritizes expanding international cooperation, particularly activating relations with prestigious financial institutions and banking structures. Reference was made to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s meeting with the head of the EBRD during the first "Central Asia – European Union" summit in Samarkand last April. Both parties expressed interest in advancing mutually beneficial cooperation.

The purpose of the two-day visit is to conduct final negotiations on the draft Framework Agreement between Turkmenistan and the EIB. It was emphasized that the ministry has reviewed the draft multiple times over the past and current years, and hope was expressed for reaching a final agreement during this visit.

Priority areas for cooperation include the transport sector, specifically financing the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor to improve connectivity between Central Asia and Europe. Work is also underway on a "Roadmap" for digitalizing this corridor under the SPECA program. Other key areas include digital transformation, energy, and water management. Turkmenistan is focusing on "green" energy and diversification, offering great opportunities for European banks to participate in sustainable projects. Cooperation in agriculture, water resource management, and hydrocarbon processing was also discussed.

In the capital, leaders of "Türkmengaz" and "Türkmennebit" State Concerns met with V. Nikitin, Head of Business Development at "BASF Intertrade AG" (Switzerland), part of Germany’s "BASF Group." Both sides confirmed their readiness to deepen cooperation in the oil and gas sector. It was noted that BASF gas purification equipment is used at the Kiyanly gas chemical complex, and the company is prepared to provide further technical support and consulting services.