On December 16, the 15th meeting of the Turkmen-Japanese Committee for Economic Cooperation was held in the capital. A large delegation of Japanese business representatives, led by Hiroyuki Tsubai, Member of the Board of Directors of Itochu Corporation, Executive Vice President, and President of the Machinery and Equipment Division, as well as Chairman of the Committee from the Japanese side, arrived in Turkmenistan to participate in the event.

During the business meeting, the sides discussed current areas of trade and economic partnership at the modern stage of interstate dialogue, aligned their positions on financial and investment cooperation, and exchanged views on promising joint projects and pathways for production collaboration.

The forum was attended by representatives of various ministries and departments of both countries, members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, as well as business leaders from both sides.

It was emphasized that for over 30 years, Japan and Turkmenistan have maintained friendly relations in the political and economic spheres. During this period, the mutually beneficial dialogue between the two states has been steadily strengthened and deepened, facilitated by the activities of the joint Committee for Economic Cooperation. Turkmen-Japanese cooperation is also successfully developing in a multilateral format, particularly within the Central Asia + Japan Dialogue, which has proven to be an effective mechanism for interregional partnership.

Expressing satisfaction with the advancement of bilateral relations to qualitatively new levels, the Japanese guests confirmed their intention to expand their presence in the dynamically growing Turkmen market by participating in large-scale transformation programs implemented in Turkmenistan as part of the progressive socio-economic policy of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

Among the key areas of future cooperation, industrial sectors such as gas and petrochemicals, transport and communications, agriculture, and the introduction of advanced technologies were highlighted. Intergovernmental humanitarian contacts in education, science, culture, arts, sports, and tourism are also developing steadily.

Leading companies from Japan are making a significant contribution to the development of Turkmenistan's economy by participating in infrastructure projects in key sectors, particularly in gas and chemical industries. This positive experience highlights Turkmenistan's interest in further attracting Japanese expertise and technologies for the implementation of new projects, including in construction and power generation.

It was noted that the investment policy pursued by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the reforms initiated under his leadership aim to realize the immense potential of the country to ensure significant economic growth, increase efficiency, and improve the well-being of the Turkmen people.

Particular emphasis was placed on the ongoing process of forming a new industrial model of the national economy, which focuses on the rational use of Turkmenistan's rich natural resources, its advantageous geographic location, and the broad introduction of innovative technologies, modern production methods, and scientific advancements.

The Government also pays great attention to supporting private entrepreneurship and developing small and medium-sized businesses. The main directions of Turkmenistan's investment policy and its legislative framework were highlighted.

Environmental protection, along with green and clean energy projects, was identified as one of the priorities of the partnership with Japan, aligning with modern global trends.

In turn, Japanese business representatives delivered presentations on the trade and economic potential of their country, emphasizing the prospects for expanding productive cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including infrastructure systems.

The participants expressed their gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for his comprehensive support of Japanese companies and the creation of favorable conditions for their activities in Turkmenistan.

At the conclusion of the meeting, several documents were signed, aimed at further developing the fruitful Turkmen-Japanese partnership, including:

• A Framework Agreement between the State Concern "Türkmenhimiýa" and a group of companies: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Asia Pacific, Pte. Ltd. (Singapore), Çalik Enerji Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (Turkey), and Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan) for the provision of service and technical maintenance of the "Garabogazkarbamid" plant.

• A Framework Agreement between the State Concern "Türkmenhimiýa" and a group of companies: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan), Gap Inşaat Yatirim ve Diş Ticaret Anonim Şirketi (Turkey), and Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan) for the design, procurement, and turnkey construction of a urea production plant with a capacity of 1,155 thousand tons per year in Kiyanly, Balkan Velayat, Turkmenistan.

• A Memorandum of Understanding between the State Concern "Türkmenhimiýa" and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, LTD. (Japan) and ITOCHU Corporation (Japan) on mutual cooperation.

• A Memorandum of Understanding between the State Concern "Türkmenhimiýa" and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, LTD. regarding Additional Agreement No. 3 for the supply and technical maintenance of the gas-to-gasoline plant in Ahal Velayat.

• A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan and Sumitomo Corporation Power & Mobility (Japan).

• A Convention between Turkmenistan and Japan on the elimination of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and the prevention of tax evasion and avoidance.

• The Protocol of the Fifteenth Meeting of the Turkmen-Japanese Committee for Economic Cooperation.

Source: State News Agency of Turkmenistan