BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1. Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan held inter-ministerial political consultations, focusing on expanding trade, transport, and energy cooperation.
This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan following political consultations between Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev.
"The sides outlined steps to increase bilateral trade and diversify its structure. Energy and transit-transport cooperation were identified among the priority areas, with a focus on maximizing the region's transit potential," the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the ministers also supported expanding cross-border cooperation to strengthen direct ties between the regions of the two countries.
The consultations additionally covered cooperation on water resources and climate change, including coordination within the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and exchanges on Caspian issues, the ministry said.
The two sides also reviewed political dialogue, interparliamentary cooperation, and coordination within the United Nations and other international organizations, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening regional partnership, the ministry outlined.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan maintain a strategic partnership centered on trade, transport connectivity, and energy cooperation. Bilateral trade has grown more than fourfold over the past five years, and has consistently exceeded $500 million annually, while the two countries have set a target of increasing trade turnover to $1 billion. Particular attention is being paid to the development of transit corridors linking Central Asia with the Caspian region and beyond, including cooperation on rail, road, and logistics infrastructure, as well as joint efforts to strengthen regional connectivity and cross-border commerce.
Earlier in June, Astana hosted the 14th meeting of the Kazakh-Turkmen Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Cultural Cooperation. The event was chaired by Galymzhan Koyshybayev, Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Nokerguly Atagulyev, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan.
