On March 12, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the European Commissioner for International Cooperation of the European Union, Josef Sikela.

Expressing gratitude for the time allocated for the meeting, the guest emphasized that the European Union highly values its multifaceted cooperation with Turkmenistan, which is confidently moving forward with economic reforms.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov warmly welcomed the European Commissioner and noted that during his visit to Turkmenistan, high-level meetings would be held, and a visit to the International Sea Port of Turkmenbashi, one of the largest ports in the region, was planned. Confidence was also expressed that the current visit would provide an opportunity to exchange views on the current state and prospective directions of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union.

As noted during the meeting, Turkmenistan's partnership with the European Union is successfully developing. In recent years, political and diplomatic relations have become more dynamic.

Great importance is attached to developing mutually beneficial cooperation not only on a bilateral basis but also on a multilateral level. A striking example of this is the relations within the "Central Asia–European Union" format.

At the same time, several projects are being successfully implemented in Turkmenistan in cooperation with the European Union in the fields of science and education, ecology, energy, and the development of transport and transit corridors. Given Turkmenistan's advantageous geographical location, the expansion of transport and transit routes is of strategic importance.

In this regard, it was noted that Turkmenistan is actively developing promising transport corridors such as North–South and East–West.

The President of the country emphasized the special significance of the International Sea Port of Turkmenbashi, whose capabilities allow for a significant reduction in the route and time required for large cargo flows, as well as the creation of favorable conditions for access to the Black Sea coast, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region. In this regard, confidence was expressed that the port would serve as a reliable bridge in the development of cooperation and trade-economic ties between Eurasian countries.

At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the European Commissioner for International Cooperation of the European Union, Josef Sikela, expressed confidence in the further development of mutually beneficial partnership and exchanged best wishes.

Source: State News Agency of Turkmenistan