BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 28. Turkmenistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have discussed prospects for expanding expert consultations and exchanging assessments and experience on economic policy.
This was reflected in a press release published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan following a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Gurbanov and Anna Bordon, IMF mission chief for Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, held in Ashgabat today.
According to the ministry, the sides emphasized the importance of expert engagement and consultations in building a deeper mutual understanding of economic policy issues. They also expressed mutual interest in continuing regular dialogue and developing cooperation.
The meeting comes amid ongoing engagement between the IMF and Turkmenistan on improving the availability and quality of economic data. On September 11, the IMF Executive Board reviewed the country's obligations under Article VIII, Section 5 of the fund's Articles of Agreement, which requires members to provide information needed for the IMF's work.
According to the board's statement, some key data, including information on international reserve assets, official gold and foreign exchange holdings, and the balance of payments, remained outstanding. The board encouraged the Turkmen authorities to address the reporting gaps and indicated that it would review progress within six months.
The IMF has also highlighted the importance of improving the availability and consistency of economic data used to assess Turkmenistan's performance. In its June 2026 assessment, the fund's staff noted that official GDP growth estimates were difficult to reconcile with other available indicators and therefore used its own estimates. The IMF estimated economic growth at 3.6% in 2025 and projected growth of 2.4% in 2026.
In an exclusive interview with Trend published in February, Bordon identified medium-term and program-based budgeting, stronger fiscal reporting and planning, and improvements in governance and statistical capacity among the fund's cooperation priorities for the year.
"These efforts aim to help translate hydrocarbon wealth into more diversified, resilient, and inclusive economic growth over the medium term," Bordon said.
Additionally, she said the fund's policy advice focused on strengthening fiscal management, improving public spending efficiency, modernizing monetary and exchange rate frameworks, and improving the quality and transparency of economic statistics.
The IMF's recommendations have also covered the financial sector. Bordon said they included strengthening the Central Bank of Turkmenistan's role in price and financial stability, reinforcing regulation and supervision, and reducing reliance on central bank financing for development purposes.
Trend's analysis suggests that the latest meeting takes place against a backdrop of two related challenges: the need to improve the quality and coverage of economic data used to assess the country's performance, and the need to strengthen policy frameworks for managing public finances and financial stability. Further expert consultations could help address these issues.
