BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 13. Turkmenistan and the European Union have highlighted environmental protection and preservation of the Caspian Sea ecosystem as areas for further cooperation.
This was reported by the Turkmen MFA following the meeting between Minister Rashid Meredov and EU Ambassador to Turkmenistan Beata Peksa.
According to the ministry, the sides exchanged views on the current state and prospects of Turkmenistan-EU cooperation, as well as international and regional issues.
“Particular attention was paid to cooperation in environmental protection and preservation of the ecosystem of the Caspian Sea,” the ministry says.
The parties emphasized the importance of maintaining a consistent political dialogue and constructive interaction to strengthen and expand cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU.
Meanwhile, the EU-Turkmenistan environmental agenda is increasingly linked to practical cooperation on water, energy and climate resilience. Under its 2021-2027 cooperation framework, the EU has allocated €18 million for bilateral cooperation with Turkmenistan and supports initiatives focused on integrated water and energy management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and methane-emission reduction. The EU also works with Turkmenistan through regional Team Europe programmes addressing water, energy and climate change.
Environmental issues have also become part of the broader economic cooperation agenda. In 2025, the EU and Turkmenistan launched initiatives under the Global Gateway framework covering energy and climate cooperation, while EU officials have highlighted renewable energy, water management and climate resilience as areas with potential for further engagement. In February 2026, EU Ambassador Beata Peksa said that cooperation with Turkmenistan had also included climate-change adaptation, environmental protection and energy efficiency.
This agenda also corresponds with the areas identified by the European Investment Bank (EIB) as potential fields for future cooperation. In an interview with Trend, EIB Central Asia representative Olivier Kueny said that, once a framework agreement enables operational engagement, the bank could explore projects related to water and clean energy in Turkmenistan under the Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy and Climate Change. He also pointed to the country's solar and wind potential as an opportunity for developing more diversified and sustainable energy systems.
For Turkmenistan, water management is particularly relevant because environmental pressures intersect with agriculture, energy use and infrastructure planning. The EU's approach therefore links environmental cooperation with wider economic priorities rather than treating it as a standalone area. This creates scope for projects combining resource efficiency, renewable energy and climate resilience with infrastructure development.
