(Ankara, October 26, 2023)

Respected representatives of the business community!

Dear friends, brothers!

I greet you with all my heart and first of all I would like to thank the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges, as well as the Organization of Foreign Economic Relations of Turkiye for organizing this business forum!

We regularly hold meetings of business people from the two countries, where we discuss ways and prospects for trade and economic partnership.

We consider it appropriate to continue our constructive negotiations at today’s meeting. I am confident that there will be an exchange of views that will give a qualitatively new impetus to our partnership and will allow us to consider specific issues of subsequent joint work.

I thank the business forum participants. It is gratifying that among you there are representatives of companies that have been fruitfully working in Turkmenistan for many years.

Dear forum participants!

Over the years of independence, Turkish companies have participated in hundreds of projects - small, medium and large.

At the same time, it should be noted that large-scale projects are currently planned in Turkmenistan in various fields of industry, cultural and social areas, which require innovative engineering ideas based on high technology, solid technical experience and skill. Therefore, we invite Turkish business people to our country to work together on the above-mentioned projects, especially on the concept of “Ashgabat City”, to be built based on the principles of a modern “smart” city, as well as on the industrial cluster that will be built in the city of Arkadag.

Turkmenistan attaches importance to building up investment partnerships with foreign countries, where the main goal is to attract foreign capital to the large energy and infrastructure projects we are carrying out. This in turn opens up a wide field for our joint action. In this regard, we propose to create a Joint Investment Fund and a Joint Working Group on Investments.

In addition, we consider it acceptable to consider the issue of opening branches of a number of leading Turkish banks in Turkmenistan in order to financially regulate the activities of Turkish investors and industrialists in our country.

Energy has a huge role to play in bilateral relations. We are talking about sending Turkmen energy resources to Turkiye, in particular, electricity and natural gas. Turkmenistan is guided by the principle of equal consideration of the interests of producers, transit countries and consumers, and therefore is open to collaboration with Turkish partners in this area.

The transport and communications industry is one of the key and promising areas. Today the large-scale construction of new transport communications, road and railway crossings are underway in our country, as well as the reconstruction of air and sea ports.

We propose to establish regular working meetings in this area between transport departments, associations and companies of both countries.

At the same time, we consider it advisable to create a Joint Transport and Logistics Center with the participation of specialized government sectors and private transport and logistics companies to step up cooperation, and well-coordinated work in this area.

Today, agriculture is among the basic sectors of the economy. Our main objective is to maintain food security in our countries and promote international efforts in this direction. Therefore, significant funds are allocated in Turkmenistan to the agricultural and agro-industrial sector, and its material and technical resources are systematically improved.

In this regard, we propose to expand cooperation and exchange of experience with Turkiye in increasing agricultural yields, improving seed farming and selection, and introducing new technological developments into production. We express our readiness to establish mutually beneficial relations with specialized Turkish companies in these areas.

Today, the whole world is faced with climate change and other environmental challenges, and in such conditions the role of water management is consistently increasing. We are going to modernize the water supply and distribution systems in our country, and we attach importance to regional and international partnerships in this important area.

Along with this, one of the major goals is to establish effective partnerships in the field of rational use of water resources and the introduction of water-saving technologies. In this regard, it should be noted that specific projects include the reconstruction and expansion of the infrastructure of the bed and side canals of the Garagum River. We would like to express our readiness for close cooperation with specialized Turkish companies in these areas.

The development of the industrial sector and production cooperation are among the priorities of the national economy. We are carrying out targeted work to establish and expand international cooperation in these areas.

In modern conditions, the role of science and technology in economic development is steadily increasing, so it is important for our countries to move forward in accordance with new demands and keep up with the times. Guided by this urgent issue, we propose to intensify cooperation in the scientific and technological field, as part of which we consider it necessary to establish a partnership between companies of the two countries specializing in information technology. We express the readiness of the Turkmen party to work jointly in these areas.

Dear forum participants!

In general, the Turkmen party aims to bring trade and economic relations with Turkiye to a qualitatively new level. At this meeting we are discussing upcoming large-scale objectives and new forms of cooperation. We will gratefully accept mutually beneficial and constructive ideas and proposals. I am confident that our countries, in particular the business communities, will approach these issues thoroughly.

Discussions can be continued within the framework of the exhibition of Turkish export goods, to be held in Turkmenistan on December 6–8 this year. In this regard, I propose to hold the next Turkmen-Turkish business forum in Ashgabat.

I once again thank you for the high level of organization of the meeting and the opportunity to speak to you!

I wish the business forum to be completed successfully, and its participants sound health, prosperity and great achievements!