ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 1. Turkmenistan
and the Philippines discussed prospects for launching a “Central
Asia-ASEAN” dialogue format,
Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen
government.
The discussions took place during a meeting between
Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to the Philippines Atadurdy Bayramov and
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano in Tokyo,
Japan.
During the talks, the sides discussed a broad range of bilateral
issues, including high-level visits, strengthening the legal
framework, and expanding cooperation in political, economic, and
cultural spheres.
Particular attention was paid to energy security and interaction
within multilateral platforms.
In view of the Philippines’ upcoming ASEAN chairmanship in 2026,
the parties agreed to work jointly on advancing Turkmenistan’s
initiative to establish a new “Central Asia-ASEAN” dialogue
format.
The sides also agreed to prepare concrete proposals for the
implementation of this regional cooperation mechanism.
The Central Asia-ASEAN dialogue format is a new framework aimed
at enhancing cooperation between the five Central Asian states
(Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan)
and the ten ASEAN member states. Its purpose is to create a
structural "C5+ASEAN" approach that goes beyond individual
bilateral meetings, focusing on regional connectivity, trade, and
economic partnerships.
The strategic goal includes addressing shared challenges and
diversifying trade while countering great-power rivalry. This
initiative aligns with Central Asia's strategy of engaging major
stakeholders and emphasizes strengthening economic ties, technology
transfer, and infrastructure development for sustainable
growth.
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