On March 12, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov held a meeting with the European Commissioner for International Partnership Jozef Sikela, who arrived in Turkmenistan on a visit, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan reports.

During the meeting, the parties discussed a wide range of issues of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

In this context, the importance of the upcoming contacts at the highest level, in particular, the first summit in the Central Asia-EU format, was emphasized. In this regard, preparations for the Central Asia-EU ministerial meeting in Ashgabat were touched upon.

The parties discussed the possibilities of expanding the legal framework for cooperation, noted the effectiveness of joint mechanisms, including the Turkmenistan-EU Joint Committee, inter-parliamentary dialogue, human rights dialogue, and others.

Particular attention was paid to promoting socio-economic cooperation. Issues of cooperation in developing trade relations, transport connectivity, energy security, innovation and investment activities were considered. In this regard, an exchange of views took place on the implementation of the EU Global Gateway initiative.

The parties also reviewed current and prospective projects and programs, as well as issues of using EU expertise in the process of Turkmenistan's accession to the World Trade Organization.

In addition, the diplomats discussed joint work in maintaining environmental safety, reducing methane emissions and renewable energy sources. Possibilities for further development of cooperation in the field of education and science were also considered.