On 26 February 2026, a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Central Asian states and the United Kingdom was held at Lancaster House, during which prospects for deepening political dialogue as well as expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation were discussed. About this reports MFA of Turkmenistan.   

In his statement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, expressed appreciation to the British side for initiating the first ministerial meeting in the “Central Asia – United Kingdom” format and noted its timeliness amid the strengthening regional consolidation in Central Asia.

The participants emphasized the interest of Central Asian countries in building a sustainable and competitive economy capable of effectively responding to global challenges. In this context, priority areas of cooperation with the United Kingdom were outlined.

Key areas identified included energy and decarbonization, including modernization of the oil and gas sector, introduction of deep hydrocarbon processing technologies and development of renewable energy; financial and trade technologies drawing on London’s experience as one of the world’s leading financial centres; professional services, including legal, consulting and auditing sectors; as well as transport and logistics cooperation aimed at strengthening the region’s transit potential.

In conclusion, the Minister reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s readiness for active and substantive engagement both within the new format and on a bilateral basis, with a focus on achieving practical and mutually beneficial outcomes.

Regional issues and other matters on the international agenda were also discussed during the meeting.