BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 2. Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan discussed expanding bilateral trade, investment, and joint projects.
This was reported in a statement issued by the press service of the Turkmen government following a meeting between President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kosherbayev in Ashgabat.
"The work of the Turkmen-Kazakh Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation helps unlock the potential of bilateral cooperation and further increase trade, investment and joint projects," the government said.
According to the press service, Berdimuhamedov noted the importance of the foreign ministers' consultations held during Kosherbayev's visit to Turkmenistan and expressed confidence that their outcomes would further strengthen bilateral relations.
The information indicates that, in the course of the meeting, the sides also highlighted cooperation within international organizations, including the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Economic Cooperation Organization, as well as regional platforms such as the Consultative Meetings of Central Asian Heads of State and the Central Asia+ format.
The meeting also covered cooperation in education, healthcare, science, culture, and sports, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to further expanding the Turkmen-Kazakh partnership, the press service added.
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.
