The international experts discussed the prospects of legal co-operation at a roundtable in Ashgabat. The roundtable was organised by the Government of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Turkmen National Institute of Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan and the German Society for Technical Co-Operation (GTZ). A group of the international experts represented the German Society for Technical Co-Operation (GTZ). The deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, the specialists of the governmental agencies, whose activities were directly related to legal development - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Office of Prosecutor General, the Supreme Court, the leading specialists of the bars and notary's offices of the Ministry of Justice of Turkmenistan took part in the roundtable.

Opening the meeting Director of the Turkmen National Institute of Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan Shirin Akhmedova emphasized that the theme under discussion had been guided by the goals of Turkmenistan’s foreign-policy strategy that Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov had prioritized towards development of full-scale international co-operation. Sh. Akhmedova noted that the demand-driven directions of international co-operation in the context of the reforms initiated by the Turkmen leader included enhancement of legal co-operation with the European countries which had accumulated the profound experience in democratic and national development.

Addressing the participants Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany Hans Georg Mondorf expressed deep satisfaction at expansion of the traditional Turkmen-German partnership through exchanging experience in the legal sphere in particular.

Speaking at the forum Mrs. Iris Muth, a representative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Co-Operation and Development expressed gratitude for organisation of the forum, which was of outstanding importance for intensifying the international dialogue and strengthening stability and security in the region. Mrs. Iris Muth said that the Government of Germany highly appreciated co-operation with Turkmenistan that guided by its leader pursued the policy of neutrality and regarded co-operation with Turkmenistan as providing the vast opportunities for legal co-operation.

The participants noted that the activities aimed at improving the Turkmen legislation would enable to offer a powerful incentive to intensify trade and economic relations between the countries as well as different economic and financial structures. The participants exchanged views on the political and legal, scientific and practical principles of functioning the human rights institutes and the issues of improvement of the mechanisms for the promotion of human rights, the aspects of integration of the international obligations into the national legislation.

The leading German experts on economics and law presented the reports of particular interest at the roundtable. The forum was concluded in the lively discussion, the answers to the questions about the international practice in criminal, public, civil and economic law.

Sharing the impressions on the roundtable the German experts emphasized that the fact of conducting the meeting of that kind in the Turkmen capital vividly demonstrated Turkmenistan’s readiness to improve the national legislation, closely co-operate in international peacemaking activity through using the existing opportunities. The guests noted that the German Society for Technical Co-Operation had entered a new stage of co-operation with Turkmenistan that met the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union as well.