BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 14. Turkmenistan and the Benelux countries discussed prospects for expanding regional cooperation, with a focus on economic and energy-related areas.
This was reported by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Belgium following a meeting between Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Belgium Sapar Palvanov and Benelux Union Secretary-General Ariadne Petridis in Brussels.
“The relevance of the Benelux Union's longstanding experience in coordinating cooperation among states” was highlighted during the meeting, according to the embassy.
According to the report, the sides discussed promising areas of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Benelux countries, as well as opportunities to strengthen ties between Central Asia and Europe.
Particular attention was paid to relations between Turkmenistan and the European Union. The meeting addressed the expansion of cooperation and the growing number of political consultations, expert-level meetings and other joint engagements. The report says that these developments have contributed to an increase in reciprocal visits and official contacts between Turkmenistan and the EU.
In her turn, Petridis welcomed the initiative and expressed readiness to share the Benelux Union’s experience with Central Asian countries.
For reference, the Benelux Union brings together Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Its cooperation framework covers areas including energy, economic cooperation, the internal market, climate, sustainable development, security and resilience.
For Turkmenistan, cooperation with the Benelux countries could provide additional channels for dialogue on energy and economic issues within its broader engagement with Europe.
