BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. Turkmenistan and the European Union discussed prospects for expanding trade and economic cooperation.
This was reflected in a statement published by the press service of the Turkmen government on August 3 following the meeting between Turkmenistan’s Trade Minister Nazar Agakhanov and EU Ambassador Beata Peksa.
According to the statement, the sides reviewed the current state of bilateral cooperation and discussed prospects for further developing ties.
"The participants paid particular attention to strengthening partnership in the areas of trade, economic development and expanding business contacts," the statement said.
The sides also reaffirmed their mutual interest in deepening cooperation and exploring new opportunities for future joint initiatives, the report noted.
Meanwhile, relations between Turkmenistan and the European Union are currently governed by an Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade-related Matters, which entered into force in 2010. A broader Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), signed in 1998, has not yet been fully ratified by the European Parliament, making Turkmenistan the only Central Asian country without a fully implemented partnership agreement with the EU.
In recent years, cooperation has increasingly focused on transport connectivity, trade facilitation, energy, education, climate policy, and economic diversification. The EU's engagement with Turkmenistan is carried out within the framework of the 2019 EU Strategy for Central Asia and the Global Gateway initiative. The EU has allocated 18 million euros for bilateral cooperation with Turkmenistan under its 2021-2027 programme.
Transport and logistics have become one of the key areas of cooperation. Brussels views Turkmenistan as an important participant in the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor connecting Central Asia and Europe. In March 2025, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela visited Ashgabat and reaffirmed EU support for the corridor's development as part of the Global Gateway strategy.
