The National Leader of Turkmenistan, Arkadag Berdimuhamedov visited France on 5 May 2025. Among other engagements, he also addressed the Turkmen-French Economic Forum.
Here is the unofficial, slightly paraphrased translation of his speech:
Dear forum participants! Ladies and gentlemen!
I am very pleased with today’s meeting.
The presentation will consist of three sections: the first is devoted to the current geopolitical state of Turkmenistan, the second to its geoeconomic state, and the third to the issue of coordinating joint work.
Dear forum participants!
As is known, Turkmenistan is an independent neutral state. This year, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a Resolution recognizing Turkmenistan’s neutral status for the third time. This is a significant event. Based on this status, our country, on the principles of equality and mutual respect, pursues a policy of broad international cooperation and “open doors”.
At the initiative of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, 2025 has been declared the “International Year of Peace and Trust”. This has found support from members of the world community, including France. In this regard, I invite you to take part in the international events that will be held in our country on December 12 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s neutrality and the International Year of Peace and Trust.
If we talk about the geopolitical situation, it should be noted that Turkmenistan, along with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, is one of the Central Asian countries. Iran and Afghanistan are our neighbors in the region. Turkmenistan maintains good-neighborly relations with these countries, which are based on a reliable, solid foundation of long-standing friendship and brotherhood.
Today, trade turnover between Turkmenistan and Iran has positive dynamics.
By the way, industrial enterprises built in the past by your country, for example, for the production of Peugeot cars, are functioning effectively in Iran.
As for our close neighbor Afghanistan, Turkmenistan maintains good neighborly relations with it. A stable and equal dialogue has also been established with other states in the region.
We will continue to adhere to our policy based on the principles of neutrality. In this regard, I would like to note the meeting in the format of “Central Asia-European Union”, which was recently held in Uzbekistan, in the city of Samarkand. Within its framework, bilateral negotiations were held, where Turkmenistan reached a number of agreements with European countries.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Turkmenistan is included in the rating of economically developing countries. Therefore, we will create a favorable investment climate for companies interested in investing in the economy of our state. We have formed a solid regulatory framework that guarantees the reliability of investments: it complies with the generally recognized norms of international law and today works effectively.
We have developed and adopted two state programs in the field of development of the oil and gas, gas chemical, agricultural and construction industries – the Program for Industrialization of the Country for the Period up to 2030 and the National Program for the Socio-Economic Development of the Country up to 2052.
Over the years of independence, we have established and currently maintain constructive cooperation with leading foreign business partners, including French companies, among which are such companies and business structures as Cifal, Bouygues, Vinci and Schneider Electric. They actively participate in major programs implemented in our country.
The experience accumulated during our joint work with its positive results allows us to look confidently into the future. Turkmenistan is ready to offer French businessmen all favorable conditions for investment and further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation. Based on this, I would like to focus on issues of partnership in five areas.
First: we are ready to continue promoting French products and services on the Turkmen market, especially in areas such as the oil and gas sector, satellite technologies, transport, cadastre, water resources, chemical industry, pharmaceuticals and others.
Second: Turkmenistan is interested in attracting advanced French experience in the field of urban development, monitoring methane emissions, geological exploration, supply of oil and gas equipment, green and hydrogen energy.
These issues may be included in the agenda of the Turkmen-French working group on cooperation in the field of energy, the next meeting of which we propose to hold this year.
We also consider it appropriate to continue the practice of holding international events similar to the energy forum held in Paris in 2024.
Third: explore the possibility of attracting small and medium-sized French enterprises to do business in our country.
Fourth: taking into account France’s leading position in the world in the field of tourism and Turkmenistan’s significant tourism potential, establish cooperation in this promising area.
Fifth: we are interested in active partnership in training our specialists in all of the above areas.
We are ready to begin practical discussions of the above and other proposals, as clearly demonstrated by the participation of businessmen from Turkmenistan at the current meeting.
I am convinced that we have all the prerequisites for systematic planning of a strategy for economic interaction.
In conclusion, I would like to once again express my gratitude to my French friends for organizing this meeting and wish its participants fruitful cooperation. /// nCa, 7 May 2025 (image credit TDH)