BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. Turkmenistan and
Bangladesh held their first political consultations, discussing
bilateral ties and prospects for expanding trade and economic
cooperation.


This was reflected in a press release published by
Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry following the consultations between
the delegations led by Turkmen Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet
Gurbanov and Bangladesh’s Secretary for Bilateral Relations (East
and West) Nazrul Islam.


According to the report, the sides discussed the current state
of political and diplomatic dialogue and agreed on the importance
of organizing high-level visits to expand interstate relations.


The officials also agreed to work on arranging mutual visits by
the foreign ministers and emphasized the importance of maintaining
regular contacts between the two foreign ministries.


“Among the promising areas of cooperation are the oil and gas
industry, transport connectivity, agriculture, textile industry and
others,” the ministry said.







The sides also considered establishing cooperation between the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan and the Dhaka
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.


They also discussed prospects for cooperation in culture,
education and tourism, while noting constructive interaction within
international organizations, including the UN.


For reference, Turkmenistan and Bangladesh established
diplomatic relations in February 1992, and the two countries have
since maintained cooperation through bilateral and multilateral
channels, including the UN. Earlier discussions between the sides
identified agriculture, textiles, energy and transport as areas
with potential for expanding economic ties.


Economic cooperation has remained an important part of the
bilateral agenda. In 2018, the two sides discussed activating trade
and economic relations and establishing contacts between business
communities, while also highlighting opportunities in agriculture
and the textile sector. Energy and transport cooperation were also
raised during those talks, including Bangladesh’s interest in
Turkmenistan’s TAPI gas pipeline project.