BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 6. Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Swiss Vice President and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ignazio Cassis to discuss cooperation with the organization and bilateral ties.
This was reflected in a statement published by the press service of the Turkmen government.
"The current visit to our country is regarded as an important stage in the development of relations between Turkmenistan, the OSCE and the Swiss Confederation," Berdimuhamedov said during the meeting.
According to the statement, the sides discussed prospects for expanding cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), noting that joint activities are carried out under annual cooperation programs developed by the Turkmen government together with the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.
The president also reaffirmed Turkmenistan's interest in further developing political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation with Switzerland and expressed readiness to consider concrete proposals from the Swiss side.
Cassis, who also heads Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, reiterated his country's interest in strengthening bilateral relations and highlighted the importance the OSCE attaches to expanding practical cooperation with Turkmenistan.
To note, Turkmenistan has been an OSCE participating State since 1992, while the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat has operated since 1999, implementing projects in the politico-military, economic-environmental and human dimensions. Over the years, cooperation has increasingly focused on border security, counterterrorism, transport connectivity, environmental governance, trade facilitation and digitalization, with the Centre also serving as a platform for regional conferences involving Central Asian states.
At the same time, relations between Turkmenistan and Switzerland have also gained momentum in recent years. Although bilateral trade remains modest, the two countries have expanded political dialogue through regular diplomatic contacts and cooperation within international organizations, particularly the United Nations and the OSCE. Earlier this year, Turkmen and Swiss diplomats discussed prospects for broadening trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties, while Switzerland, which currently holds the OSCE Chairpersonship, has placed particular emphasis on strengthening the organization's engagement with Central Asia.
