On July 23, 2020, a telephone conversation was held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, Minister for European Neighborhood and the Americas Ms.Wendy Morton.
The parties extensively discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation possessing mutual interest. The importance of holding regular political consultations between the external policy agencies of two countries for further promotion of political-diplomatic dialogue was noted.
The parties considered the trade-economic collaboration. In this regard, the significance of the Turkmenistan – UK Trade and Industrial Council (TUKTIC) was underlined. Till now seven sessions of TUKTIC took place, during which the issues of trade-economic cooperation in various sectors of the economy were considered, including the possibilities of strengthening business collaboration.
The diplomats restated the preparedness to continue mutually beneficial cooperation in the framework of international organizations, particularly the UN. The opportunities of expanding cooperation in the field of ecology and environment protection were discussed. It was stated that Turkmenistan pays great attention to the issues of ecological safety, particularly actively working on the Aral Sea issues by the means of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. The parties underlined the importance of continuing international cooperation in the framework of active global mechanisms on combatting the climate change. In this regard, the significance of holding the UN Climate Change Conference sessions was emphasized, including the upcoming COP-26.
One of the main topics of discussion was the international cooperation in the process of counteraction against the coronavirus pandemic. The diplomats noted the importance of coordinating international efforts on the counteraction against the spread of the new type coronavirus infection, including the use of scientific diplomacy tools.