Turkmenistan assumes chairmanship in the Forum "Central Asia - Republic of Korea"
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov took part in the 15th Cooperation Forum "Central Asia - the Republic of Korea", which was held on Tuesday, October 25, in the city of Pusan.
Speaking at the forum, Rashid Meredov noted that "the main task today is the solidarity of the countries of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea in maintaining universal long-term peace and stability," according to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
According to Meredov, in modern conditions "the role of political and diplomatic interaction between our countries is growing, establishing a regular and open exchange of views on issues of mutual interest," the press service of the Foreign Ministry notes.
Meredov drew the attention of the Korean side to the great potential for cooperation in high-tech industries, including telecommunications and space, in water desalination projects.
As a result of the meeting, the Joint Statement of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Work Plan of the Secretariat of the Central Asia-Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum for 2023 were adopted.
On the sidelines of the forum, Rashid Meredov met with Pusan Mayor Pak Hyeong-Jun, discussing with him the possibilities of developing relations between the seaports of Turkmenbashi and Pusan, exchanging experience in the field of port management, and in the future - establishing sister city relations between them.
Issues of promoting partnerships in the fields of information and digital technologies, transport and communications, shipbuilding, water and forestry, architecture and urban planning were considered.
Rashid Meredov also met with his South Korean counterpart Pak Jin. The head of the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said that Turkmenistan, with a sense of gratitude and high responsibility, takes over the chairmanship of the Forum and starts preparing for the next, 16th meeting of the Republic of Korea-Central Asia Forum in 2023 in Ashgabat.
The parties expressed confidence that the official visit of Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty - the Upper House of the Turkmen Parliament Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the Republic of Korea in November this year will open a new page in the history of bilateral relations.
Related items
-
Press conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the partnership between Turkmenistan and the EU
On November 22, 2023, as part of the Days of European Culture in Turkmenistan, a press conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the partnership between Turkmenistan and the European Union was held at the EU Delegation office.
During her speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan M.Byashimova congratulated paticipants on this significant date and emphasized that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation with the European Union.
It was noted that regular meetings and negotiations at the highest level contribute to the expansion and strengthening of comprehensive cooperation in a wide range of areas. In this context, it was noted that the meeting between the President of Turkmenistan and the President of the European Council, held on September 18, 2023 in New York, became a significant stage in cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU.
The Turkmen side noted the effective interaction of the parties within the framework of the inter-parliamentary dialogue. In this context, regular meetings between representatives of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan and the European Parliament was emphasized.
The “Central Asia-European Union” cooperation format was noted as one of the important mechanisms for expanding partnerships, within the framework of which programs and projects aimed at strengthening trade and economic ties, partnerships in the field of transport, digitalization, ecology and energy, as well as cultural -humanitarian sphere, including education and healthcare.
The participants of the press conference exchanged views on the successes achieved and prospects for further cooperation.
-
Turkmenistan was elected as a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS)
On November 16, 2023, during the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference, Turkmenistan was unanimously elected as a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport for 2023-2027.
This Committee was established in 1978 to promote the role and importance of sport and its inclusion in public policy.
Turkmenistan was elected as a member of this UNESCO structure for the period 2017-2021.
-
Prospects of Inter-parliamentary cooperation between Turkmenistan and Georgia were discussed
On November 6, 2023, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan in Georgia Mr. D. Seyitmammedov met with Chairman of Parliament of Georgia Mr. Shalva Papuashvili.
During the meeting, special attention was paid to the interaction between legislative bodies of the two countries, which is an integral component in the development of comprehensive Turkmen-Georgian cooperation. The sides also discussed promising areas of cooperation in trade, economic, transport and communication, energy, as well as in the humanitarian and cultural spheres.
Particular emphasis was placed on the intensification of cooperation between the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Groups of the two countries, which serves an important tool for promoting constructive partnership, maintaining the bonds of friendship and mutual between countries and peoples.
The participants also discussed the issues related to the organization of visit of Chairman of Parliament of Georgia in Turkmenistan and noted the increasing role of parliamentary diplomacy in the political and diplomatic sphere.
-
On November 1, 2023, a business forum of young entrepreneurs was held in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan within the framework of the 16th Cooperation Forum “Central Asia-Republic of Korea”.
The first session of the business forum was devoted to government support measures for the development of youth entrepreneurship in the countries of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea. Representatives of participating countries spoke about the national experiences and achievements in this area.
During the second session of the business forum, dedicated to the development of startup entrepreneurship and startup incubators, participants reviewed the activities of venture funds for launching innovative businesses.
There was also a thorough exchange of views between young entrepreneurs and businesspersons on introducing innovations into strategic areas of development based on the principles of “green economy” such as renewable energy, digital economy, biotechnology, robotics, smart cities, etc.
On the sidelines of the business forum, bilateral meetings and negotiations were also held between representatives of business circles from the countries of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea.
Apart from that, within the framework of the Forum, six thematic sessions were held in the relevant ministries and state agencies of Turkmenistan.
The first session “Transport and Logistics” was dedicated to the topic “Interconnectedness of the transport and logistics infrastructure of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea: challenges and opportunities”.
In the second session “Healthcare and Medicine” were discussed the priorities for the development of rehabilitation medicine and the healthcare system in Central Asia.
The third session “Climate change and environmental protection” was held on the topic “Climate, Water, Food and Energy Nexus: Climate Change Adaptation, Water Management and Climate Smart Agriculture”.
The fourth session “Information and Communication Technologies” discussed issues of e-government and e-services, including prospects for using ICT to improve the provision of public services and interaction with citizens.
The fifth session “Education and Science” was devoted to innovative processes in science and education, with an emphasis on the opportunities and prospects for cooperation between the states of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea.
In the sixth session “Tourism” attention was paid to aspects of the development of sustainable tourism under the general motto “Revival of the Great Silk Road”.
-
On November 1, 2023, a meeting of the Foreign ministers took place in Ashgabat within the framework of the “Central Asia-Republic of Korea” cooperation format.
The current meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea was devoted to the topic “Cooperation through the realization of the enormous potential of youth in shaping a sustainable future in Central Asia and the Republic of Korea”. This formulation is reflected in the joint efforts of the participating countries of the Forum to develop an agenda that determines the key areas of further partnership for the coming years, where the role of youth and its potential, which are being formed today, will be of decisive importance.
During the meeting, participants spoke out on current regional issues, issues of implementation of youth policy in each of the countries participating in the Forum, and also presented specific measures and steps taken within the framework of national plans and programs. The parties put forward a number of important ideas and initiatives to join forces in further expanding and strengthening international cooperation, including through youth interaction aimed at achieving sustainable development goals in general.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov, speaking at the meeting, emphasized that 2023 in Turkmenistan has been declared the Year of youth and this is very symbolic from the point of view of the implementation of the concept of Turkmen chairmanship at the current meeting of the “Central Asia-Republic of Korea” Cooperation Forum.
The conviction was expressed that the potential of young people in the process of forming sustainable development should be realized by intensifying their participation both in the implementation of national plans and programs, and by expanding international cooperation in this area. At the same time, the importance of the global initiatives “Youth 2030”, “Generation Without Borders”, “World Heritage Volunteers”, and the Global Youth Community was noted.
In this context, the Turkmen side marked expediency in the near future to focus joint activities on strengthening ties on the youth format and to formulate a Strategy for international cooperation between the youth of the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea, the main components of which should be concentrated on such key areas as education and science, sports and culture. In this regard, it was proposed to consider the possibilities of joint training of personnel in “double degree” programs, expanding digital knowledge among young people, creating an International Student Center and an Institute for supporting the development and introduction of innovative ideas of youth, developing the “Young talents” program, preparing a Roadmap for Intercultural Exchanges for 2025-2030, holding international youth sports games of Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea, etc.
During the speech of the delegation of Turkmenistan, the opinion was also expressed that when carrying out activities in the abovementioned and other areas of youth cooperation, close interaction with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Korea Foundation (KF), the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), as well as national and international partners is necessary.
There was also a constructive exchange of views on key issues on the regional and international agenda and a common view was expressed on the commitment to maintaining solidarity and joint efforts to ensure global long-term peace, security and stability. The ministers emphasized the importance of the Forum’s activities as a regular multilateral consultative platform and its contribution to strengthening practical cooperation between the states of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea.
Speaking about the relevance and prospects of parliamentary diplomacy as an effective tool for global interaction in ensuring peace, security and stability, the ministers highly appreciated the results of the first meeting of the Chairmen of the Parliaments of the countries of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea, which took place in September this year in the Republic of Korea. The heads of delegations welcomed the decision to hold the second meeting of this format in 2024 in Ashgabat.
One of the priority objectives of the “CA-RK” cooperation format is partnership in the economic sphere. In this context, it was emphasized that the presence of Korean business in Central Asia and the implementation of joint projects in various fields can significantly and positively influence the development of the region and provide new prospects for a broad and mutually beneficial international partnership.
The participants expressed a common opinion on the need and importance of concentrating efforts on promising areas of interaction in the “Central Asia-Republic of Korea” cooperation format, ensuring synergy and using existing objective advantages and resources. Along with this, emphasis is placed on deep historical and cultural ties, the similarity of basic values and moral guidelines of the peoples of the region.
As the participants noted, the Ashgabat Forum demonstrated that the consistent strengthening of ties, increasing the economic potential of cooperation, logistics opportunities, the formation of effective cooperation schemes in science, education, medicine, tourism, in the field of environmental protection, joint development of projects in the field of industry, agriculture, textile industry, high-tech industry, digitalization, cultural and humanitarian interaction meets the genuine interests of the peoples of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea, serves the goals of economic and social growth.
Following the results of the 16th Cooperation Forum “Central Asia-Republic of Korea”, a Joint Statement of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs was adopted, and the Work Plan of the Secretariat of “the Central Asia-Republic of Korea” Cooperation Forum for 2024 was approved.
The next meeting of the Forum in this format is scheduled for 2024 in the Republic of Korea.
