The European Union recognizes the strategic importance of Central Asia, which links the Asian and European regions. The EU frames its work in the region around the EU-Central Asia Strategy (2019). The Strategy focuses on resilience (covering areas such as human rights, border security and environment), prosperity (with a strong emphasis on green economic development and connectivity) and regional cooperation, including promoting peace in Afghanistan.
With the opening of the EU Delegation to Turkmenistan in 2019, new prospects for the joint partnership were created. The new opportunities for additional funding of the joint bilateral programmes appeared during the period up to 2027. The EU Delegation works closely with the Government of Turkmenistan to identify mutually beneficial areas of cooperation and the directions of the future cooperation on regional and bilateral levels. On the country level, the new partnership opportunities will focus on green economy, private initiative, rural area development, civil society and accession to WTO as a way of promoting regional integration that is the model the EU represents and are principles that the EU promotes everywhere to confront the global challenges of our times and to offer a better future for all.
“The relations between the EU and the Government of Turkmenistan are of a mutually beneficial nature. Being Turkmenistan’s fourth largest trading partner, the European Union has a lot more to offer. We believe it is vital to promote regional integration in Central Asia, where Ashgabat plays an important role as platform provider and initiator of (the) various integration processes. Be it transit and transportation, regional energy and security, climate change and transboundary water management, the Government of Turkmenistan is ready to take the initiative and opens its doors to the regional summits and conferences, which showcases its positive take on the integration processes. The European Union has a very wide knowledge and expertise which we are ready to offer to the Governments of Central Asian countries,” states EU Ambassador to Turkmenistan Diego Ruiz Alonso.
The European Union strongly believes that regional cooperation is the key to sustain security and stability in Central Asia and beyond. The 17th EU – Central Asia Ministerial meeting in November 2021 confirmed both sides’ commitment and readiness to take concrete actions for the implementation of our commonly set goals. The EU-Central Asia Civil Society Forum on 6 October 2021 is another example of the dialogue between the EU and Central Asia , as is the first in-person EU-Central Asia Economic Forum that took place on 5 November 2021 in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). On the occasion of the Forum, which paid particular attention to green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, digitalisation and improving the business environment, all participants reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the EU-Central Asia cooperation to support transformation of the Central Asian economies.
Various cooperation mechanisms are already in place between the European Union and the Government of Turkmenistan, including the annual Human Rights Dialogue, and Interparliamentary meetings between the European Parliament and the National Council of Turkmenistan. To foster the mutually beneficial dialogue and strengthen the mutual cooperation, the European Union provides advisory and other technical support to the Government of Turkmenistan, for example in the accession process to the WTO, the fight against climate change and the prevention of COVID-19.
With the progression of the economic development of Turkmenistan within the past 30 years of its independence and the status of an upper middle income country, the bilateral development support gradually phased out. However, the European Union has left a (very) rich heritage behind. In particular, since 1994, the European Union has funded bilateral projects in the areas of transit and logistics, energy, human rights promotion, educational and agricultural reforms, border management, rural development as well as gender equality and helped to strengthen the capacity of the local authorities and entrepreneurs. It reached out to regional investment opportunities and global markets, improved the training system of civil servants and helped raise awareness for the challenges of our time with the young. Today, the European Union and the Government of Turkmenistan are cooperating on a regional level, including in in areas such as environment protection, regional and global trade, prevention of violent extremism, gender equality, the rule of law, prevention of economic crimes, border management and prevention of the spread of COVID-19.
“The range of programmes that Turkmenistan has already benefitted from is very wide. Through its programmes, the European Union has invested millions of euros into the promotion of better governance, enhancing security and raising the education standards in the country. Currently, there are several strategic and forward looking regional initiatives in which Turkmenistan participates. Among them are such relevant and very timely cooperation directions as the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, the accession to the WTO and the promotion of regional trade, the prevention of economic crimes and improving the business and investment climate, the prevention of violent extremism, and the fight against climate change. The commitment shown by the Government of Turkmenistan promises to make the most of the offered opportunities,” stated Ms. Renata Wrobel, First Counsellor of the EU Delegation to Turkmenistan.
Some of the current regional projects that Turkmenistan takes part in include Ready4Trade Central Asia, which supports the Government of Turkmenistan in the process of WTO accession. STRIVE Asia that focuses on the prevention of violent extremism; regional programme on the prevention of the spread of COVID-19. BOMCA phase 10, which continues to strengthen border control; the Rule of Law in Central Asia which helps improve the business environment and prevent economic crimes. Furthermore, the office of the ERASMUS+ programme located in Ashgabat provides support to the local educational institutions to connect with new partners in Europe and establish exchange programmes for students, increase the capacity of the academic staff and improve the curricula of the educational institutions.
Among some of the most recent bilateral programmes, which concluded their operations in 2020, the EU-funded project “Support to Further Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Turkmenistan – SARD III”, focusing on the improvement of agricultural practices and the export of agricultural products, must be mentioned. Furthermore, the “Support to the Education Sector in Turkmenistan” project helped to build up the knowledge base for academic professionals in various spheres. The joint programme for governance reform, which focused on the reform of the Academy of Civil Servants of Turkmenistan, is also worth mentioning.
It is also vital to mention the work of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the training offered under the “Central Asia Invest: Turkmen-European advanced chamber empowerment” project aimed to develop Turkmen business intermediary organisations’ capacity to support the development of SMEs.
“There are many aspects of the cooperation between the European Union and Turkmenistan. High level visits, political forums and human rights discussions are held on a regular basis between the EU and the Turkmen Government, local authorities, entrepreneurs and civil society to further deepen the relations between the EU and Turkmenistan, promote bilateral and regional cooperation and work together on the promotion and realisation of our common goals, namely regional stability, security and integration, environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources, human rights and gender equality, multilateralism, education and cultural exchanges. It is impossible to name all the joint achievements that we have accomplished together. What is important (now) is to think strategically and plan ahead. The European Union offers vast opportunities for growth and development, and there are many areas of cooperation which haven’t been discovered yet. In this regard, we invite the Government of Turkmenistan and other interested parties to engage in a dialogue and discuss future plans for projects of mutual interest,” stated Diego Ruiz Alonso, Ambassador of the European Union to Turkmenistan.
High level visits between the European Union and Turkmenistan are fostering the dialogue and contribute to the realization of joint initiatives.
In June 2021, EU Special Representative Peter Burian paid a visit to Ashgabat to hold talks with members of the Turkmen Government – Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Control Chamber Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. The constructive exchange focused on cooperation in the field of renewable energy, transport, environmental protection, digitalisation as well as security and stability at the regional and international level. Furthermore, both sides agreed to intensify the political and diplomatic dialogue in bilateral and multilateral fora, to implement the EU’s Strategy on Central Asia and to support the private sector. EU Special Representative Burian reiterated the EU’s engagement to assist Turkmenistan in its effort to join the World Trade Organisation.
In August 2021, President of the European Council Charles Michel had a productive phone call with President Berdimuhamedov on the cooperation with Turkmenistan, with a special focus on the situation in Afghanistan. On 6 October 2021, EU’s new Special Representative for Central Asia, Ambassador Terhi Hakala, attended the EU-Central Asia Civil Society Forum in Almaty (Kazakhstan), underlying the importance of the EU-Central Asia dialogue and cooperation, including the regular exchanges and cooperation with civil society. In continuation of the constructive and valuable cooperation between the EU and Turkmenistan, EU Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala plans to visit Turkmenistan in December 2021 to attend the Peace and Trust conference, as well as to further intensify the bilateral and regional dialogue.
As the former EU Special Representative for Central Asia Peter Burian has pointed out, the EU is a transparent and honest player in the region, competing neither with Russia nor with China, nor with other powers and players in the region. Therefore, the EU pursues a non-exclusive partnership with Turkmenistan, believing that there is enough space in Turkmenistan and in Central Asia for a positive cooperation of everybody, based on internationally accepted standards and commitments.
In the Joint Communique from the 17th EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting of 2021 the participants, including Turkmenistan, set out their common objectives for the region: to forge strong forward looking partnership and strong commitment to work together for peace, security, universal human rights, democratic governance, gender equality and sustainable development in full respect for international law. The EU stands ready to further implement those objectives and translate them into concrete actions on both the bilateral and regional levels.
The EU fully shares the view of President Berdimuhamedov, presented during his speech at the UN General Assembly, that the COVID-19 pandemic has a significant negative impact on the global and regional development, exposing all vulnerabilities of economic systems and systems of governance. But it is also a chance to come back stronger and greener. As underlined by EU Special Representative Peter Burian, the EU is determined to pursue this silver lining in its Green Deal and Green Post-Covid-19 Recovery plans and is committed to support Turkmenistan in its efforts of building more competitive, sustainable economies and more resilient societies. The EU is looking forward to continuing the dialogue with the Government of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen people and wishes them all success in their important work and private lives.