Speaking of the commitment of Turkmenistan to European vector of its foreign policy, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov notes that significant potential of our country allows providing the implementation of large-scale international projects meeting the interests of all participating sides. The events have proved high interest of both Turkmen state and European Union to bring traditional cooperation to new level and to give more stable dynamics to this cooperation bot in bilateral format and on the platform of multichannel collaboration of two main regions of the continent - the EU and Central Asia.
This is indicated by the meetings including the meetings of the Heads of Foreign Ministries of the European Union, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to Brussels last week as well as the visit of Turkmen parliamentarians to the European Parliament.
In particular, further development of the relations between these regions, the EU and CA Strategy, combating against common challenges and threats have been reviewed. The sides agreed on the necessity of consolidation of efforts with the involvement of Afghanistan, which are aimed at joint solution of the utmost objectives for support of security and protection of stability in the region.
Joint Communique enshrining the commitment of the sides that coming Genève Conference of Afghanistan on Foreign Ministers level on November 27 – 28 would allow formulating perspective agenda in the sphere of peace provision in this country. The Communique welcomes the outcomes of the Conference of regional economic cooperation for Afghanistan (RECCA VII) held in Ashgabat in November 2017.
In addition, Turkmenistan participants of the ministerial meeting in Brussels informed the colleagues about the activity for fulfilment of the decisions of the Summit of International Fund for Saving of Aral Sea. In this regard, the necessity of promotion of the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on development of the UN Special Programme for Aral Sea basin has been highlighted.
Opening of the EU Representative Office in Turkmenistan planned in the next year is among important factor of activation of Turkmen – European relations, - Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy informed at the briefing after the meeting of the ministers.
At the same time, the press tour for the representatives of CA countries’ mass media has been organized together with the above-mentioned and other activities that have direct relation to the development of new EU strategy for Central Asia. The journalists had an opportunity to see how the work of such complex union comprising of 28 members states of the EU, which keep their independence and at the same time coordinating their position on joint development, is organized. The tour included the visit to European Service of Foreign Affairs, European Commission, the EU Council, European Parliament and participation in various briefings, presentations, talks and exchange of the views.
Substantial agenda of the press tour, this business-like and practical character aimed at efficient partnership and transparency, which the journalists including from Turkmen press have been met with by the representative of European Union, its departments and press services, reflected the willingness to trustful cooperation and dialog, search for the points of convergence and perspectives subjects of cooperation.
From the first days of its independence, Turkmenistan has been developing beneficial contacts with European Union and EU members and these relations had stood the test of time and at present time, are ready to be brought to new level due to understanding of common strategic objectives in political, economic and humanitarian aspects. Large-scale reforms and changes initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as well as the implementation of new approaches to the partnership with our country by the European Union are firm foundation for efficient joint activity.
Such spheres as provision of security, trade, energy, supremacy of law, ecology and education, management of water resources are the main components of the cooperation in bilateral format and in the regional scale. At the same time, individual approach of the European Union to each state of Central Asia, which is coherent in relation to the support of their interregional connectivity, better integration as well as the impact on the regulation of the situation in Afghanistan and its involvement to the world economic relations, is worth to be mentioned.
In this context, the Silk Road has been mentioned, on which Turkmenistan occupies key position, the same way it used to be in the past, playing the role of the intersection of transport, transit and trade routes. Today, there are all prepositions to make this road as the main of trade and economic life of Central Asian region, which states would receive big benefits from heavy traffic of good with high added value. Transport and industrial strategy of Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is aimed to this. Owing to steadfast implementation of this strategy, Turkmenistan creates multimodal network of transnational railway corridors, roads, water and air lines, innovative production and industrial clusters.
In addition, it was also spoken about educational exchanges. For example, Department Head of European Service for Foreign Affairs Boris Yaroshevich said to the journalists during the meeting that the Erasmus+ programme, which is aimed at support of the cooperation in education, professional training and cultural relations of youth, can be expanded taking into account the requirements of Central Asian countries and the process of student and tutor exchange has been started in the region.
In a word, the European Union is willing to share its best developments for development of integrational processes in different spheres. On another hand, the practice of Central Asian countries in solution of regional issues is also valuable and might be used as successful model for other countries with similar problems. In particular, the EU recognize the achievement of the progress on water diplomacy in CA as such example.
It is expected that the EU Central Asian Strategy would be presented in March – April 2019. It proposes the introduction of new instruments of its implementation including in trade policy, which brightest feature is the absence of single scheme of organization of cooperation with all countries of the region according to the specialists of the General Directorate of the European Trade Commission as its own system of the relations will be available for each partner states. Although the region is the source of significant import of energy carriers for the EU, there is huge untapped potential of trade and export structure diversification.
In this aspect, Turkmenistan places high hopes in the increment of the depth of the processing of local natural reserves inside the country, output high technology production capacities and national entrepreneurship, to which President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov creates the mode of the most favourable nations, giving ‘green light’ to bold initiatives and entrusting Turkmen businessmen with responsible and big projects.
Improvement of trade climate, which gives positive energy of development, will be discussed in details after one month during the next collegial meeting in Brussels at the session of Turkmenistan – EU Joint Committee under the Agreement on Cooperation and Trade. So, Turkmenistan actively integrates to new format of Central Asia – European Union cooperation trying to take deserving place in interregional partnership and having all capabilities for this.
This is indicated by the meetings including the meetings of the Heads of Foreign Ministries of the European Union, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to Brussels last week as well as the visit of Turkmen parliamentarians to the European Parliament.
In particular, further development of the relations between these regions, the EU and CA Strategy, combating against common challenges and threats have been reviewed. The sides agreed on the necessity of consolidation of efforts with the involvement of Afghanistan, which are aimed at joint solution of the utmost objectives for support of security and protection of stability in the region.
Joint Communique enshrining the commitment of the sides that coming Genève Conference of Afghanistan on Foreign Ministers level on November 27 – 28 would allow formulating perspective agenda in the sphere of peace provision in this country. The Communique welcomes the outcomes of the Conference of regional economic cooperation for Afghanistan (RECCA VII) held in Ashgabat in November 2017.
In addition, Turkmenistan participants of the ministerial meeting in Brussels informed the colleagues about the activity for fulfilment of the decisions of the Summit of International Fund for Saving of Aral Sea. In this regard, the necessity of promotion of the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on development of the UN Special Programme for Aral Sea basin has been highlighted.
Opening of the EU Representative Office in Turkmenistan planned in the next year is among important factor of activation of Turkmen – European relations, - Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy informed at the briefing after the meeting of the ministers.
At the same time, the press tour for the representatives of CA countries’ mass media has been organized together with the above-mentioned and other activities that have direct relation to the development of new EU strategy for Central Asia. The journalists had an opportunity to see how the work of such complex union comprising of 28 members states of the EU, which keep their independence and at the same time coordinating their position on joint development, is organized. The tour included the visit to European Service of Foreign Affairs, European Commission, the EU Council, European Parliament and participation in various briefings, presentations, talks and exchange of the views.
Substantial agenda of the press tour, this business-like and practical character aimed at efficient partnership and transparency, which the journalists including from Turkmen press have been met with by the representative of European Union, its departments and press services, reflected the willingness to trustful cooperation and dialog, search for the points of convergence and perspectives subjects of cooperation.
From the first days of its independence, Turkmenistan has been developing beneficial contacts with European Union and EU members and these relations had stood the test of time and at present time, are ready to be brought to new level due to understanding of common strategic objectives in political, economic and humanitarian aspects. Large-scale reforms and changes initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as well as the implementation of new approaches to the partnership with our country by the European Union are firm foundation for efficient joint activity.
Such spheres as provision of security, trade, energy, supremacy of law, ecology and education, management of water resources are the main components of the cooperation in bilateral format and in the regional scale. At the same time, individual approach of the European Union to each state of Central Asia, which is coherent in relation to the support of their interregional connectivity, better integration as well as the impact on the regulation of the situation in Afghanistan and its involvement to the world economic relations, is worth to be mentioned.
In this context, the Silk Road has been mentioned, on which Turkmenistan occupies key position, the same way it used to be in the past, playing the role of the intersection of transport, transit and trade routes. Today, there are all prepositions to make this road as the main of trade and economic life of Central Asian region, which states would receive big benefits from heavy traffic of good with high added value. Transport and industrial strategy of Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is aimed to this. Owing to steadfast implementation of this strategy, Turkmenistan creates multimodal network of transnational railway corridors, roads, water and air lines, innovative production and industrial clusters.
In addition, it was also spoken about educational exchanges. For example, Department Head of European Service for Foreign Affairs Boris Yaroshevich said to the journalists during the meeting that the Erasmus+ programme, which is aimed at support of the cooperation in education, professional training and cultural relations of youth, can be expanded taking into account the requirements of Central Asian countries and the process of student and tutor exchange has been started in the region.
In a word, the European Union is willing to share its best developments for development of integrational processes in different spheres. On another hand, the practice of Central Asian countries in solution of regional issues is also valuable and might be used as successful model for other countries with similar problems. In particular, the EU recognize the achievement of the progress on water diplomacy in CA as such example.
It is expected that the EU Central Asian Strategy would be presented in March – April 2019. It proposes the introduction of new instruments of its implementation including in trade policy, which brightest feature is the absence of single scheme of organization of cooperation with all countries of the region according to the specialists of the General Directorate of the European Trade Commission as its own system of the relations will be available for each partner states. Although the region is the source of significant import of energy carriers for the EU, there is huge untapped potential of trade and export structure diversification.
In this aspect, Turkmenistan places high hopes in the increment of the depth of the processing of local natural reserves inside the country, output high technology production capacities and national entrepreneurship, to which President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov creates the mode of the most favourable nations, giving ‘green light’ to bold initiatives and entrusting Turkmen businessmen with responsible and big projects.
Improvement of trade climate, which gives positive energy of development, will be discussed in details after one month during the next collegial meeting in Brussels at the session of Turkmenistan – EU Joint Committee under the Agreement on Cooperation and Trade. So, Turkmenistan actively integrates to new format of Central Asia – European Union cooperation trying to take deserving place in interregional partnership and having all capabilities for this.
