Several important meetings were held during the visit of the Turkmen delegation to the UK

On February 24, a working visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland began for a delegation led by Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

As part of the working visit, a meeting was held today between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, and the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez. During the meeting, issues of cooperation in the field of maritime transport and international shipping were discussed, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

During the talks, the Minister noted that strengthening relations with international organizations in the transport sector is one of the priority tasks of the modern era. In this direction, Turkmenistan regularly cooperates with several international specialized bodies, including the International Maritime Organization.

It was emphasized that systematic work is being carried out in the country to ensure compliance with the requirements of international conventions on maritime transport, to implement modern safety standards for shipping, and to improve the regulatory legal framework in light of international obligations.

As noted, Turkmenistan consistently calls for a comprehensive approach to transport issues at the United Nations meetings, not only at the national and regional levels but also at the global level. At the initiative of Turkmenistan, the UN General Assembly has adopted several resolutions aimed at forming a qualitatively new format of international cooperation in the transport sector.

The importance of active cooperation with the United Nations was particularly highlighted during the meeting. A clear testament to this is the hosting of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in the "Awaza" National Tourist Zone in August 2025.

At the end of the meeting, the Turkmen side confirmed its readiness to further develop an active dialogue with the International Maritime Organization and to implement joint projects in the field of sustainable and safe maritime shipping.

Furthermore, the opening of the "Structured Dialogue" between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the UK took place at the UK Foreign Office building. Minister Rashid Meredov and Hamish Falconer, the UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, delivered speeches at the meeting.

In his speech, the Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan noted the consistent development of Turkmen-British cooperation and emphasized the importance of holding the third round of the "Structured Dialogue."

The positive growth of political dialogue and trade-economic relations was noted. In this regard, the need to more fully utilize existing economic potential, including within the framework of the Turkmen-British Trade and Industry Council, was emphasized.

In the fields of education and culture, attention was drawn to the great interest in learning English in Turkmenistan, and interest was expressed in expanding cooperation with relevant British institutions. It was reported that several bilateral documents in these areas are planned to be signed during the visit.

Regarding the regional agenda, the Minister noted the importance of stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan and mentioned the large-scale infrastructure projects implemented by Turkmenistan aimed at providing socio-economic support to the Afghan people. Readiness to continue cooperation on regional security issues was reaffirmed.

Attention was also drawn to important international issues. The Turkmen side reaffirmed its commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, the country's status of neutrality, and the necessity of resolving international disputes through peaceful, political, and diplomatic means.

Following the event, a Cooperation Program between the foreign ministries of the two countries for the years 2026–2027 was signed.

The talks then continued at the level of heads of relevant departments.