Elvira Kadyrova
On 17 February 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan hosted a press briefing dedicated to reviewing the outcomes of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union in 2025, as well as discussing plans for engagement in the current year.
The event brought together a broad range of participants: representatives from Turkmen ministries and agencies, civil society, EU partners in the country, and both Turkmen and international media.
Key presentations were delivered by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Mahri Bashimova and the EU Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Head of the EU Delegation Beata Pęksa. Additional remarks were provided by the Head of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, German Ambassador Bernd Heinze, and French Ambassador Philippe Merlin.
The briefing featured a detailed overview of the major events and achievements in the Turkmen-European partnership agenda over the past year. Both sides emphasized the steady progress in relations and their mutual interest in further deepening cooperation.
Political Dialogue and Key Events in 2025
The year 2025 was marked by a series of significant high-level political contacts. In March 2025, Ashgabat hosted a meeting of foreign ministers from the Central Asian countries and the EU, which served as crucial preparation for the first EU–Central Asia Summit. The summit took place in April in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and became a historic milestone: its outcomes included the adoption of a Joint Declaration confirming the parties’ intention to elevate relations to the level of a strategic partnership. Additionally, a Declaration of Intent was signed to deepen cooperation in the field of critical raw materials.
In October 2025, an additional ministerial meeting was held in an expanded format, involving foreign ministers from EU countries as well as representatives from Black Sea region and South Caucasus states.
Other notable events included visits by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen People to EU countries, as well as visits to Turkmenistan by the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Eduards Stiprais, European Commissioner for International Partnerships Josef Síkela, and European Commission Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. Turkmen representatives actively participated in meetings of finance and economy ministers.
In Ashgabat, the 24th meeting of the Turkmenistan–EU Joint Committee took place in November 2025, along with an interparliamentary dialogue. The human rights dialogue continued, as did the High-Level Dialogue on Security Policy EU–Central Asia and meetings of special representatives on Afghanistan.
Education, Capacity Building, and Institutional Development
One of the priority areas remains personnel training and institutional capacity strengthening. A special training program on EU foreign policy was organized for specialists from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Eurostat regularly conducted training sessions for staff of the State Committee for Statistics of Turkmenistan.
Particular emphasis is placed on education and science. Through the regional project DARYA (“Dialogue and Action for Resourceful Youth in Central Asia”), initiatives are being implemented to develop youth skills aligned with future challenges. The project covered 10 events and trained 135 participants from the region.
Turkmenistan has intensified its engagement with the Horizon Europe program: in February 2025, experts visited the country, conducting seminars and consultations to expand national participation.
Transport, Energy, Ecology, and Green Development
The importance of transport connectivity has significantly increased within the framework of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative. Ongoing efforts focus on strengthening links between Europe and Central Asia, particularly through the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (also known as the Middle Corridor). A Turkmen delegation participated in the Investors Forum for this corridor, contributing to discussions on mobilizing investments for infrastructure modernization, logistics efficiency, and enhanced regional economic integration.
In the field of ecology and sustainable development, the program “EU for a Green Turkmenistan: Policy Dialogue and Climate Action 2024–2028” is being implemented in partnership with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Foreign Office. The initiative strengthens EU-Turkmenistan relations through policy dialogue on energy, environment, and climate policies; promotes the adoption of international and EU best practices and standards; and supports concrete actions in renewable energy, energy efficiency, methane emission reduction, and greenhouse gas mitigation.
Substantial attention is given to environmental protection, sustainable management of natural resources, climate change mitigation, and the development of renewable energy sources—including through the regional project SECCA (Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia).
Economy, Trade, and Support for WTO Accession
Cooperation with the International Trade Centre (ITC) aims to strengthen Turkmenistan’s global trade linkages and accelerate its WTO accession process. The Ready4Trade program continues to support the simplification of trade procedures in both the public and private sectors.
Other Directions and Projects
The EU and Turkmenistan implemented numerous projects in healthcare (in partnership with WHO), child rights protection (with UNICEF), and human rights and democracy (with the Institute of State, Law, and Democracy). Support was provided for conducting the Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
The latest phases of the BOMCA (Border Management Programme in Central Asia) and CADAP (Central Asia Drug Action Programme) programs were completed—with over 400 officials trained under BOMCA 10, contributing to stronger border security and facilitated trade. A restart of these programs is expected in 2026.
The EU actively engages with civil society organizations. In 2025, three grant projects were successfully completed:
- Enhancing women’s competitiveness in the private sector (in partnership with the Union of Economists of Turkmenistan);
- The “Infotech” project;
- A project to combat human trafficking, aimed at raising public awareness of migration risks and preventing illegal migration.
Overall, across various EU-led projects in 2025, 547 events were held, involving approximately 27,000 participants from Turkmenistan.
Plans for 2026: Further Strengthening of Strategic Partnership
At the press briefing, both sides placed particular emphasis on the prospects for cooperation in the current year. Turkmenistan and the European Union reaffirmed their mutual commitment to deepening multifaceted relations, encompassing political dialogue, economic interaction, green transformation, and humanitarian projects.
One of the key events of the year is expected to be a high-level visit to Brussels. Discussions on the agenda and exact dates of the visit of President of Turkmenistan are currently underway. It is anticipated that the visit will result in the signing of a package of important documents.
“President Berdimuhamedov is more than welcome to come to Brussels and to have meetings with the President of the Commission, Council, Parliament and Commissioners, it is really difficult to say what we are going to focus on, because, we have so many issues on the agenda, from the education to the cooperation on energy”, Ambassador Beata Peksa said.
“Of course, it is really difficult to say what will be the main topic, but all issues, from the political consultations to education, to the cooperation of youths, up to energy security, everything will be on the agenda”, she added.
According to the Ambassador, the problem is to find a date in the calendar of the EU President to agree on the appropriate date, because “so many things are happening in the world, and there are so many exceptional meetings when President has to leave Brussels suddenly”.
Political and Institutional Dialogue
A series of significant meetings and events are planned for 2026:
- The next round of interparliamentary dialogue between the Mejlis of Turkmenistan and the European Parliament;
- A new round of the human rights dialogue;
- The 5th high-level meeting of the EU program DARYA (scheduled for October), focused on preparing youth for future challenges;
- A meeting of the Turkmenistan–EU Joint Committee in Brussels;
- The High-Level Dialogue on security policy issues in Central Asia;
- A meeting of special representatives on Afghanistan.
In addition, on 26 March 2026, the Turkmenistan–EU Business Forum will take place in Ashgabat.
Border Security and Regional Projects
In 2026, the 11th phase of the BOMCA (Border Management Programme in Central Asia) will launch—a flagship EU project for border management in the region. The new phase will continue to strengthen institutional capacities, enhance training for officials, and promote safe and orderly cross-border trade.
Advancement of Women’s Rights, Decent Work, and Social Protection
The EU hopes for Turkmenistan’s participation in a new project to be implemented in cooperation with UNDP, UN Women, and UNFPA. The initiative focuses on empowering women across Central Asia.
Furthermore, the EU has decided to support cooperation between Turkmenistan and the International Labour Organization (ILO). A two-year project with a budget of 2 million euros will concentrate on promoting decent work, preventing child labour. It will allow ILO to launch some new trainings as well as building institutional capacity of Turkmenistan in implementing its own decisions concerning eradication of this possible problem.
Cultural, Humanitarian, and Environmental Dimension
In 2026, a number of cultural events are planned, including Days of European Culture in Turkmenistan, events dedicated to Europe Day, as well as some campaigns for saving our planet with active involvement of youth.
Both sides expressed confidence that the насыщенная agenda of 2026 will not only consolidate the results achieved in 2025, but also elevate Turkmen-European partnership to a qualitatively new level, contributing to sustainable development, security and prosperity of the region.///nCa, 17 February 2026
Here is press release, delivered by the EU Delegation to Turkmenistan:
EU–Turkmenistan Partnership: Reviewing Achievements in 2025 and Looking Ahead to 2026
Ashgabat, 17 February 2026
On 17 February 2026, the European Union Delegation to Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan held a joint press briefing to review the results of EU -Turkmenistan cooperation in 2025 and to outline strategic priorities for 2026. The event brought together representatives of national and international media, Turkmen state institutions, Ambassadors of the EU Member States, civil society organisations, and implementing partners of EU-funded projects, reflecting the strength and growing depth of the partnership.
Ambassador of the European Union to Turkmenistan, Beata Peksa, expressed her appreciation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, line ministries, and EU project partners for their close and constructive cooperation throughout 2025. She underlined that the year delivered tangible results across priority sectors including connectivity, green transition, trade, education, health, environment, and cultural exchange.
She highlighted the strengthened political dialogue, marked by high-level visits and engagements, including visits of HR/VP Kaja Kallas and Commissioner Josef Síkela, the participation of Turkmenistan in the first EU–Central Asia Summit, and the 20th EU–Central Asia Ministerial Meeting, which was organised in Ashgabat. She also recalled the successful holding of the 17th EU–Turkmenistan Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels, confirming the EU’s continued commitment to constructive engagement on human rights, gender equality, labour rights, and the rule of law.
Ambassador Peksa highlighted the EU’s key achievements in 2025 and ongoing priorities. On connectivity, she underlined support for the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, including technical assistance, and preparations for the upcoming EU–Turkmenistan Business Forum. In green transition and climate action, she noted progress under the “EU for a Green Turkmenistan” project, methane emission reduction, renewable energy education partnerships, and regional cooperation under the Team Europe Water-Energy-Climate initiative. She also highlighted growing collaboration on critical raw materials through Turkmenistan’s endorsement of the EU–Central Asia CRM Declaration and engagement with the Global Gateway. Key results were reported in trade, economic cooperation, education, health, labour rights, border management, drug prevention, circular economy, civil society support, biodiversity protection, and cultural heritage preservation, alongside extensive public diplomacy, including European Culture Week and Europe’s Day celebrations, cultural events, and media literacy initiatives.
Deputy Foreign Minister, Myahri Byashimova welcomed the EU’s continued engagement and highlighted the impact of EU-funded initiatives on Turkmenistan’s socio-economic development. She emphasized cooperation in education, including the DARYA Project, noting that the 5th DARYA High-Level Event will be held in Ashgabat in October 2026, back-to-back with the National Educational Conference to bring together regional stakeholders and advance skills development. She also highlighted progress in transport connectivity, green energy, and trade facilitation, and reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s commitment to deepening bilateral and regional cooperation with the EU, including through inter-parliamentary dialogue, people-to-people contacts, joint initiatives aligned with national priorities, and the implementation of the Joint Roadmap for Deepening Ties between the EU and Central Asia adopted at the EU-CA Summit.
Ambassadors of Germany and France in the Team Europe spirit highlighted key aspects of Turkmenistan’s international engagement and cooperation with the EU. Germany’s Ambassador recalled the 11 February 2026 Berlin ministerial meeting with Central Asian foreign ministers, focusing on energy, regional security, transport, industry, and digital technologies, and concluding with the Berlin Ministerial Declaration. France’s Ambassador underlined the success of intercultural projects in 2025, the importance of WTO accession, development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, digital connectivity, and the need to resume the Erasmus+ programme to strengthen educational cooperation.
Director of the Department of International Organizations, Rovshen Annaberdiyev highlighted also the importance of developing security cooperation, including within the EU-Central Asia High Level Political and Security Dialogue and the consultations of envoys for Afghanistan. He also emphasized the Turkmen side’s satisfaction with the continuation of two flagship projects in the region regarding rule of law and law enforcement: BOMCA and CADAP.
Looking forward, both sides outlined an ambitious agenda for 2026. Key priorities include:
- High-level visits and intensified political dialogue, including planned inter-parliamentary meetings, EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting and the next EU–Turkmenistan Human Rights Dialogue to be hosted in Ashgabat and Joint Committee in Brussels;
- The first EU–Turkmenistan Business Forum, to be held in March 2026, strengthening economic ties and private-sector cooperation;
- Continued implementation of Global Gateway initiatives in connectivity, energy, digitalisation, and critical raw materials;
- New phases of regional programmes on border management, drug action, gender equality, and women’s empowerment;
- Expanded cooperation in education, research, and innovation, including opportunities under Horizon Europe and future re-engagement with Erasmus+ once outstanding issues are resolved;
- Ongoing cultural diplomacy, youth engagement, media literacy, and environmental awareness activities.
In closing remarks, both, Deputy Foreign Minister Byashimova and Ambassador Peksa thanked all the ministries, the Office of the Ombudsperson, State, Law and Democracy Institute, international organisations, civil society partners, universities, volunteers, EU Member States, and project teams for their continued cooperation and dedication.
The joint press conference reaffirmed the shared commitment of the European Union and Turkmenistan to deepening their partnership in 2026, guided by dialogue, mutual respect, and a common vision for peace and security, sustainable development, regional stability, and prosperity. ///The EU Delegtation to Turkmenistan