On the 11^th of March, 2024, a ceremony was held to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) within the framework of the regional project «Trade Facilitation in Central Asia» (TFCA) for the period 2024-2026.

The document was signed by the Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan B. Gochmollayev and the Director of GIZ in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan Joachim Fritz with the participation of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Turkmenistan Michael U. Bierhoff.

The main goal of the project is to develop regional approaches and knowledge, especially in the field of digitalization, aimed at facilitating cross-border trade.

During the meeting, Minister B. Gochmollayev confirmed Turkmenistan’s commitment to strengthening regional trade cooperation. Ambassador Michael W. Bierhoff emphasized the importance of intensifying ties in the field of trade relations of Turkmenistan within the region and beyond. Mr. Fritz noted that with the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding, Turkmenistan will become the fifth country within the regional project «Trade Facilitation in Central Asia», which corresponds to the increased interest of countries and companies in further developing ties between Central Asia and Europe.

During the visit of the GIZ delegation on the 11^th to 13^th of March, 2024, practical aspects of the implementation of the Memorandum were discussed and next steps were outlined that were critical to achieving the agreed goals for 2024. Representatives of the Agency of Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, the State Plant Quarantine Service, as well as the private sector took part in the discussions. The parties noted that the implementation of joint initiatives within the framework of the regional TFCA project will contribute to the prosperity and growth of cross-border trade in Central Asia.