During Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s working visit to Japan to attend the inaugural “Central Asia + Japan” summit, he held talks with executives from leading Japanese business circles. The meetings resulted in the signing of a substantial package of documents aimed at deepening cooperation in key sectors such as the economy, transport, digital technologies, education, and the chemical industry.
President Berdimuhamedov highlighted the significant role Japanese companies have played in Turkmenistan’s economic development and expressed openness to new joint initiatives. Participating on the Japanese side were leaders from major corporations, including Mitsubishi Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
The signed agreements span a broad range of areas and underscore the strategic nature of Turkmen-Japanese partnership:
- Memorandum of Understanding between Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Automobile Transport and Sumitomo Corporation (Japan);
- Memorandum of Cooperation between the State Concern “Türkmengaz” and Sumitomo Corporation Europe Limited;
- Memorandum of Understanding between Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Communications and Mitsubishi Corporation Machinery, Inc. (Japan) on collaboration in the effective use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in Turkmenistan through information exchange and joint efforts;
- Memorandum of Understanding between the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Television, Radio Broadcasting, and Cinematography and Sony Middle East and Africa FZE;
- Cooperation Agreement between the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan and Mizuho Bank, Ltd.;
- Memorandum of Understanding between Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan and the School of Engineering at Tohoku University (Japan);
- Memorandum of Understanding between Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan and the School of Engineering at Tohoku University (Japan) on student exchange;
- Memorandum of Understanding between Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan and the Graduate School of Science and Technology at Hirosaki University (Japan);
- Memorandum of Understanding between the State Concern “Türkmenhimiýa” and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. on extending technical maintenance for the natural gas-to-gasoline production plant in the Ahal region;
- Memorandum of Understanding between the State Concern “Türkmenhimiýa” and a consortium of Toyo Engineering Corporation (Japan) and Rönesans Endüstri Tesisleri İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (Türkiye) on ensuring reliable operations for the second phase of production at the polymer plant in Kiyanly, Balkan Province;
- Memorandum of Understanding between the State Concern “Türkmenhimiýa” and a group comprising Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan), Gap İnşaat Yatırım ve Dış Ticaret Anonim Şirketi (Türkiye), and Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan) on a turnkey project to build a urea production complex with an annual capacity of 1.155 million tons in Turkmenbashi district, Balkan Province.
These agreements pave the way for greater Japanese technology transfers and investments into priority areas of Turkmenistan’s economy, including gas chemistry, transport infrastructure, digitalization, and education.///nCa, 20 December 2025