On April 10, 2026, within the framework of a working visit to the Republic of Korea, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov took part in the Senior Officials’ Meeting of the Central Asia – Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum held in Seoul.
The meeting, chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Ms. Eui-Hye Cecilia Chang, focused on preparations for the First Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit.
In his remarks, A.Gurbanov noted that Turkmenistan views the Central Asia – Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum as an effective consultative platform that contributes to strengthening multifaceted cooperation among participating states. It was also emphasized that the Turkmen side was among the first to support the initiative of the Republic of Korea to hold the First Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit in Seoul.
It was underlined that the upcoming Summit is intended to become an important stage in the development of multilateral dialogue between the Central Asian states and the Republic of Korea, aimed at further expanding diplomatic, trade and economic, investment, and humanitarian cooperation, as well as developing sustainable mechanisms for practical interaction.
During the discussion of draft outcome documents, the Turkmen side confirmed its readiness to actively and constructively participate in further joint work on their coordination and substantive development.
Organizational and protocol issues related to preparations for the upcoming Summit, including the holding of side events, were also discussed.
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On the same day, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov also took part in a meeting of Deputy Foreign Ministers of Central Asian countries with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Cho Hyun.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Turkmen side expressed gratitude for the warm reception and the high level of organization of the negotiations.
During the talks, the sides discussed current issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, with particular attention given to cooperation within the framework of the Central Asia – Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum.
It was noted that Turkmenistan was among the first to support the initiative to hold the First Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit, which is seen as an important step towards strengthening multilateral dialogue and giving new momentum to cooperation between the countries of the region and the Republic of Korea.
The interlocutors expressed confidence that the upcoming Summit will become a significant stage in the further development of partnership and will contribute to expanding practical cooperation across a wide range of areas of mutual interest.
The Turkmen side reaffirmed its readiness to actively and constructively participate in the preparation and holding of the Summit.