Turkmenistan Proposed Initiatives to Strengthen Cooperation Between Central Asia and the UK

During a meeting of foreign ministers held on February 26 at the "Lancaster House" government complex of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Turkmenistan presented several initiatives to develop cooperation between Central Asian countries and the United Kingdom. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

In his speech, Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov proposed forming a resilient and competitive economy capable of responding effectively to global challenges. Energy and methane emission reduction were identified as key priorities, including the modernization of the oil and gas sector, the development of deep hydrocarbon processing, and the advancement of renewable energy sources.

During the meeting, special attention was paid to expanding cooperation in financial and trade technologies by utilizing London's potential as one of the world's leading financial centers, as well as developing professional services such as legal, consulting, and auditing services.

The participants also exchanged views on strengthening transport and logistics cooperation and increasing the transit potential of the region.

At the conclusion of his speech, Rashid Meredov reaffirmed Turkmenistan's readiness for active and meaningful cooperation within the new multilateral format and on a bilateral basis, aimed at practical and mutually beneficial results. Current issues on the regional and international agenda were also discussed during the meeting.

On the same day, the Turkmen delegation led by Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met with Professor Timothy Williams of the Institute of Archaeology at University College London (UCL). Following the meeting, an Agreement was signed between the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan and the UCL Institute of Archaeology.