BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. Turkmenistan and
the European Union discussed prospects for expanding trade and
economic cooperation.


This was reflected in a statement published by the press service
of the Turkmen government on August 3 following the meeting between
Turkmenistan’s Trade Minister Nazar Agakhanov and EU Ambassador
Beata Peksa.


According to the statement, the sides reviewed the current state
of bilateral cooperation and discussed prospects for further
developing ties.


"The participants paid particular attention to strengthening
partnership in the areas of trade, economic development and
expanding business contacts," the statement said.


The sides also reaffirmed their mutual interest in deepening
cooperation and exploring new opportunities for future joint
initiatives, the report noted.







Meanwhile, relations between Turkmenistan and the European Union
are currently governed by an Interim Agreement on Trade and
Trade-related Matters, which entered into force in 2010. A broader
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), signed in 1998, has
not yet been fully ratified by the European Parliament, making
Turkmenistan the only Central Asian country without a fully
implemented partnership agreement with the EU.


In recent years, cooperation has increasingly focused on
transport connectivity, trade facilitation, energy, education,
climate policy, and economic diversification. The EU's engagement
with Turkmenistan is carried out within the framework of the 2019
EU Strategy for Central Asia and the Global Gateway initiative. The
EU has allocated 18 million euros for bilateral cooperation with
Turkmenistan under its 2021-2027 programme.


Transport and logistics have become one of the key areas of
cooperation. Brussels views Turkmenistan as an important
participant in the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor connecting
Central Asia and Europe. In March 2025, EU Commissioner for
International Partnerships Jozef Síkela visited Ashgabat and
reaffirmed EU support for the corridor's development as part of the
Global Gateway strategy.