The Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Belgium, Sapar Palvanov, together with colleagues from Central Asia and Mongolia, took part in a meeting with Benelux Union Secretary General Frans Weekers and his deputies.
During the meeting, Benelux officials gave a detailed presentation on the Union’s activities, its founding history, institutional mechanisms, and the practical benefits of close regional coordination. They emphasized that Benelux stands as one of Europe’s most successful examples of regional integration.
Representatives of the Benelux Union expressed strong interest in developing dialogue with Central Asian countries and their readiness to share their experience in effective intergovernmental cooperation and well-established institutional coordination. They noted that, amid the strengthening ties between the European Union and Central Asia, such collaboration presents mutually beneficial opportunities for both sides.
Ambassadors from Central Asian countries affirmed their commitment to enhancing regional cooperation and stressed their willingness to act in a more coordinated manner in response to shared regional challenges. The Benelux experience was especially welcomed as a potential model for deepening intergovernmental collaboration in Central Asia.
During the meeting, the Turkmenistan’s Ambassador also discussed the possibility of simplifying visa procedures, specifically regarding the elimination of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and service passports between the Benelux countries and Turkmenistan.
The Ambassador highlighted that Central Asian countries, including Turkmenistan, are increasingly becoming platforms for hosting high-level international events attended by European government representatives and international organizations.
At the same time, Turkmenistan is actively participating in events held in European countries, including those of Benelux, by sending official delegations. In the first half of this year alone, Turkmenistan hosted 1,945 meetings with foreign partners, received 353 foreign delegations, and sent 763 Turkmen delegations abroad to take part in international events. These figures reflect a high level of international engagement and a strong commitment to open dialogue.
In this context, developing mechanisms to promote the freedom of official travel would represent a valuable contribution to growing dialogue and expanding practical cooperation.
As a successful example of such interaction, the agreement between Turkmenistan and Switzerland was cited, which provides simplified travel procedures for holders of diplomatic and service passports.