On December 10, 2022, the Fifth Central Asian Expert Forum "Actual aspects of regional cooperation on climate change, water use, food security and information and communication technologies in the Central Asian region" was held in the Turkmen capital.
The event was organized by the Scientific Center for Strategic Studies of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan with the assistance of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.
The purpose of the event is to discuss topical issues of ensuring regional cooperation, development of common strategic approaches, practical proposals and recommendations for the governments of the states of the region in agreed areas by the leading experts of the Central Asian countries.
The regular meeting was attended by heads and experts of the Institutes for Strategic Studies of the Central Asian States, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions, UNRCCA, faculty and students of the IMO MFA, and media representatives.
The forum program included three sessions: "Cooperation in combating climate change in Central Asia in the light of the decisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), water cooperation in the Aral Sea Basin", "Issues of food security in the Central Asian region", " Problems of ensuring security in the field of information and communication technologies”.
During the meeting, the measures taken in the countries of Central Asia to mitigate the effects of climate change, and the possibility of attracting the resources of international financial institutions, in particular, the UN Green Climate Fund (GCF), were discussed.
The importance of analyzing the emerging realities, identifying priority areas for mutually beneficial cooperation based on a thorough and critical study of the key processes of regional development and trends in interstate relations, and achieving concrete results that can make the CA region more secure, stable and prosperous was noted.
Speaking about integrated approaches to protecting cyberspace, ensuring information security at the national and regional levels, the participants noted that at present all countries of the region have adopted and are implementing their own strategic and conceptual documents aimed at developing the digital society, as well as countering cyber threats.
In conclusion, the participants expressed their sincere gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for his support in holding this forum at a high level, noting with satisfaction that it would give an important impetus to the further development of cooperation between the countries of Central Asia in addressing topical regional issues.
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EVENTS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CENTRAL ASIA-REPUBLIC OF KOREA COOPERATION FORUM IN ASHGABAT
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”.
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On October 31, 2023, a meeting of the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the heads Foreign Ministries of the Central Asian states was held in the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, during which a thorough exchange of views took place on the most important topics of regional security, sustainable development and stability. Particular attention of the participants was paid to border security, climate change and ecology, as well as transport links.
Speaking at the meeting, OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid noted that this forum is aimed at expanding and strengthening interaction in solving pressing problems in the region in each of the above dimensions. In this context, the need for joint activities of all Central Asian countries and relevant international structures was emphasized. At the same time, the important role of projects and measures provided by the OSCE in this process was outlined.
During the meeting, the Ministers exchanged views on specific issues and objectives of cooperation, described the steps taken by each of the Central Asian states in these areas, and also came up with a number of important ideas and proposals aimed at consolidating efforts to ensure regional security and stability.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R. Meredov during his speech emphasized that reliable border security is the basis for maintaining peace and prosperity in the region.
As part of the discussion of climate change and environmental issues, the participants also expressed a common opinion on the need to take joint measures to interact in this direction.
The Turkmen side emphasized that environmental safety remains a priority area of international cooperation of our state, first of all, this concerns project activities on rational environmental management and sustainable management of water resources. In this regard, R.Meredov noted the importance of the practical implementation of the proposal of the Turkmen side to develop a draft OSCE Comprehensive Environmental Program.
The minister also called on the meeting participants to support Turkmenistan’s idea of establishing a specialized structure - the Regional Center for Climate Technologies. In this regard, it was proposed to hold the OSCE Forum on Climate Change Technologies.
Turkmenistan also advocates promoting the initiative of the OSCE Secretary General to hold regular meetings with the ministers for environmental protection of Central Asian countries. As is known, the first such meeting within the framework of the Climate Conference in July of this year showed that this format is timely and in demand. In this regard, the Turkmen side expressed its readiness to host the next meeting of this format in 2024 in Turkmenistan.
Another pressing issue on the agenda was strengthening cooperation in a key segment of global development - sustainable transport. The participants noted the wide opportunities for consolidated actions in this direction, first of all, this concerns issues of stimulating transport links along the East-West routes.
The Turkmen side drew special attention of the participants to the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan to create a Central Asian transport and logistics platform, voiced at the fifth Consultative Meeting of the Leaders of Central Asian Countries in September this year in Dushanbe, which will allow optimizing routes and procedures, accelerating the transportation of goods and passengers. With this in mind, it is proposed to use the potential of the OSCE in the implementation of this idea, which is promising for the entire region.
The meeting participants expressed their readiness to continue an active and constructive dialogue on issues of ensuring sustainable and safe development in the region.
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The fifth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia began in Dushanbe
The fifth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia began in Dushanbe.
The forum is attended by the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as well as the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev.
The agenda of the summit includes issues of developing cooperation in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. It is expected that the heads of state will pay special attention to expanding partnerships in fuel and energy, transport and communications and other areas.
Forum participants will also discuss issues of international and regional politics of mutual interest.
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The Turkmen delegation took part in the 9th regional meeting of the National Committees on Trade Facilitation in Central Asia in Tashkent. This is reported by the website of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan.
The central theme of the event, organized within the framework of the project of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), was the discussion of trade facilitation issues. In particular, initiatives to digitalize trade procedures and improve access to information for the private sector were considered.
In this regard, representatives of the World Trade Center familiarized the participants with the work of Trading Portal, which was recently established in Turkmenistan.
Representatives of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan together with experts of the International Union of Road Transport and employees of the State Customs Committee under the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Uzbekistan also visited the customs post "Yallama" on the Uzbek-Kazakh border.
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On February 21, 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov received Natalya Gherman, who is completing her mission as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Asia, Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA).
During the meeting, the commitment of Turkmenistan to strategic cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies was confirmed.
During the meeting, an exchange of views took place on priority areas of cooperation between our country and the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. This cooperation, first of all, is distinguished by its effectiveness.
In this regard, the importance of the creative initiatives put forward by the President of Turkmenistan in various fields was emphasized. The Head of the foreign policy agency of Turkmenistan noted that the mechanisms of multilateral preventive diplomacy, such as the Academy of Preventive Diplomacy initiative and the Women's Dialogue of Central Asian countries, have been created and are successfully operating.
Sincere gratitude was also expressed to Natalya Gherman, who is completing her work as the head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Asia, for her activities, which contributed to the development and strengthening of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Nations. Words of congratulations were expressed in connection with her appointment as the Executive Director of the Executive Directorate of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee and wishes of success in the new responsible post.
