BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Turkmenistan and the UN ESCAP have discussed expanding economic cooperation and sustainable development initiatives.
This was reflected in a press release published by the Turkmenistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 30 following a meeting between Turkmenistan's Ambassador to Malaysia, Mukhametniyaz Mashalov, and United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana in Thailand.
"Particular attention was paid to the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan to establish a Regional Centre for Combating Desertification for the countries of Central Asia in Ashgabat," the ministry said.
The sides reviewed the current state of cooperation between Turkmenistan and UN ESCAP and discussed opportunities to deepen partnership in sustainable development, economic cooperation, climate change adaptation and efforts to combat desertification, the report says.
They also highlighted the importance of participation by a high-level Turkmen delegation in the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, scheduled to take place in Mongolia in August 2026, as well as the 83rd session of UN ESCAP, due to be held in Shanghai in April 2027.
Meanwhile, cooperation between Turkmenistan and UN ESCAP has expanded steadily in recent years, with a growing focus on sustainable transport, trade facilitation, digital connectivity and climate resilience. In April 2025, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035) at Turkmenistan's initiative, assigning UN ESCAP an important role in advancing transport connectivity and sustainable infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region. Ashgabat has also been actively promoting regional initiatives on transport, energy security and environmental sustainability through the commission.
In January 2026, a delegation headed by Shombi Sharp, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, visited Turkmenistan as part of the SPECA Economic Forum held on January 21-22 in Ashgabat. This event was a key component of SPECA Week, organized under the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA).
