GENERAL

ECO Secretary General Holds Bilateral Meetings with Turkmen Officials, Boosting Cooperation

On the sidelines of the inaugural ECO Forum on Sustainable Development held in Arkadag City, ECO Secretary General Dr. Asad M. Khan engaged in a series of high-level bilateral meetings with key officials from Turkmenistan.

Dr. Khan met with Mrs. Bayramgul Orazdurdyyeva, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan in charge of Science, Education and Health. The discussions explored opportunities for further collaboration in sustainable development initiatives. The Secretary General commended Turkmenistan’s efforts in promoting innovative educational practices and health programs that empower youth and enhance public welfare. He emphasized the importance of investing in these sectors to build a resilient and knowledgeable workforce capable of addressing the challenges of the future. Dr. Khan reaffirmed the ECO’s commitment to supporting Turkmenistan’s initiatives in sustainable development and regional cooperation.

In a separate meeting, Dr. Khan held discussions with Mammethan Chakyyev, the Director General of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan.1 Dr. Khan recognized Turkmenistan’s significant contributions to regional connectivity and welcomed Mr. Chakyyev’s commitment to attend the upcoming 13th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Transport in June 2025. He stressed the importance of private sector engagement in the conference and expressed interest in organizing a side event during the 3rd UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, scheduled to take place in Awaza, Turkmenistan, later this year. Dr. Khan concluded by highlighting Turkmenistan’s strategic geographic location for boosting connectivity within the ECO region and urged active participation in relevant projects and technical meetings. He also emphasized the need to initiate work on a new ECO Regional Strategy for Information Society Development.

Dr. Khan also met with DPM on Environment and Agriculture Atakhalliyev. Their discussions centered on the pressing environmental challenges facing the ECO region, including climate change, water scarcity, and desertification. The Secretary General underscored the necessity of joint efforts to transform these challenges into opportunities for the region. They explored potential joint initiatives aligning national environmental goals with those of ECO Member States to promote sustainability and resilience. The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and food security, acknowledging Turkmenistan’s past contributions and encouraging its active participation in upcoming ECO Ministerial Meetings. Dr. Khan invited Turkmenistan to take a leading role in addressing transboundary challenges and to utilize the High-Level Dialogue Platform on Environmental Cooperation to showcase its leadership on critical issues like desertification.

Finally, Dr. Khan held a bilateral meeting with Nokerguly Atagulyyev, DPM for trade. Dr. Khan expressed his appreciation for Turkmenistan’s active role within the ECO, commending its commitment to regional economic development and the excellent organization of the Forum. During their discussions, Dr. Khan shared key trade statistics, noting that the ECO region’s contribution to global trade reached USD 1 trillion 16 billion in 2023, with intra-regional trade recorded at USD 82 billion. The Secretary General also welcomed Turkmenistan’s proposal for an ECO feasibility study on Shared Border Zones with Iran, and informed Atagulyyev of upcoming ECO Ministerial Meetings on various sectors, inviting Turkmenistan to actively participate and contribute to these discussions. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of signing and ratifying several agreements, including the ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA) and the Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investment (APPI), to enhance trade relations and economic cooperation.

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