On 26 February 2026, a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Central Asian countries and the United Kingdom took place at Lancaster House. The participants reviewed prospects for deepening political dialogue, as well as trade, economic, and investment cooperation.
“In his speech, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov expressed gratitude to the British side for the initiative to hold the first ministerial meeting in the ‘Central Asia – UK’ format, noting its timeliness amid strengthening regional consolidation in Central Asia,” a press release from the Turkmen Foreign Ministry stated.
The meeting emphasized the interest of Central Asian nations in building sustainable, competitive economies capable of effectively responding to global challenges. In this context, Minister Meredov proposed the following priority areas for cooperation with the United Kingdom:
- Energy and Decarbonization: Including the modernization of the oil and gas industry, the implementation of advanced hydrocarbon processing technologies, and the development of renewable energy.
- Financial and Trade Technologies: Leveraging London’s expertise as one of the world’s leading global financial centers.
- Professional Services: Strengthening the legal, consulting, and auditing sectors.
- Transport and Logistics: Enhancing the region’s transit potential and infrastructure.
In closing, the Minister reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s readiness for active and substantive engagement—both within this new multilateral format and on a bilateral basis—with a focus on achieving concrete and mutually beneficial results. /// nCa, 27 February 2026